Slow Dance
by Jinxing The World
Summary: Teru is finally a senior, and is so close to graduation that she can taste it, but will an important right of passage change everything for her? Teru x Kurosaki Multi chapter. T for mild swearing and romance
1. Sisterhood

Hello :) This is my newest extended story for Dengeki Daisy! It will be shorter than my last story (Seeing You Smile), but hopefully just as good. I promise that there will be some mega Teru x Kurosaki in this story, but the first few chapters will just be setting it all up. I hope you enjoy this first chapter and I promise that the second will be up very very soon!

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"You don't need to keep thanking me; you only get one senior prom after all!" Riko said with a smile as Teru once again thanked her for bringing her dress shopping. She had insisted upon buying her a dress regardless of how many times Teru said that she didn't need to. In truth, she was happy to do it. She loved Teru like a younger sister and she knew that it was what Soichiro would have wanted.

"I know, it's just that I really appreciate you doing all this for me… I mean it's so expensive and time consuming… We've been shopping for hours and we haven't even found anything yet." They were currently at the mall shopping for what would hopefully be Teru's perfect dress, but had no luck so far. They had been in seemingly hundreds of stores and had spent hours looking through racks upon racks of dresses. It seemed to Teru that every shop in the mall wanted a piece of prom action with even men's wear shops selling prom gowns. Unfortunately for Teru, regardless of how many different shops were selling dresses, they all seemed to be selling the same style and same color gowns as every other place she had previously visited. That being said, it would be perfect for someone who was interested in things that were currently "in"… but Teru was not one of those people.

The dresses that were on every rack in every store were not even appealing to Teru. Every dress looked the same and every dress was in a style she would never ever wear. They were all short or revealing with keyholes or plunging necklines that made her wonder what exactly the dress covered. She supposed that that was what most girls her age were interested in, but she just couldn't and wouldn't ever see herself wearing anything like that.

"Maybe we'll have better luck in the next shop…" Riko said as she abandoned her rack and headed for the door with Teru in tow. "So, what color is Tasuku wearing so you two can match?"

Teru had known that it would only be a matter of time before Riko asked about Kurosaki, but it still caught her off guard when she asked, and she blushed. "I don't know…" She said honestly, "I haven't invited him to go with me yet…" She had been planning to ask him and had purchased two tickets with her own money. She had yet to ask him, however, out of fear that he would reject her. It wasn't as if they were dating or anything and after all, he was an adult and she was a teenager… why would he want to spend his time at her prom?

"Oh… I'm sorry, I just guessed that it had already been all talked out and decided… are you going to invite him at all?" Riko was surprised that she hadn't asked, but at the same time was very unsurprised that she hadn't asked, after all, it was like Teru to be cautious and even a little fearful in matters of the heart.

"Yes… I just don't know when I should…." She said knowing full well that she could tell Riko anything without fear. "I guess I'm just a little afraid that he'll say no…" She felt as though his rejection would crush her inside, after all, he was the only man she had ever loved.

Riko almost laughed, but knew better than to do so, "Like he could ever say no to you." She knew that Tasuku would never in a million years be able to break her heart or say no to anything that meant so much to her. After all she was of age, so there was no real problem with them being together other than what people would think, and neither he nor Teru ever seemed to care what other people thought.

"You think he would say yes?" Teru said as she followed Riko into a bridal shop with signs in the window boasting promises of prom dresses.

"I practically know he would." She said without a doubt in her mind, he would do anything to make her happy, even if that anything meant going to prom.

Teru smiled, she was glad that Riko was so sure that he would say yes, after all, Riko had known Kurosaki even longer than she had. It was a good feeling to have Riko in her corner when all things Kurosaki were involved. Having Riko around was like having the older sister she never had. She wondered what life would he been like had Riko actually ever married her brother. She supposed that their relationship would be the same as it currently was, except for the fact that they would actually be sister-in-laws rather than just sort-of-kind-of-almost-sisters.

"Well, then in that case we're open to any color… what's your theme?" Riko asked trying to get their conversation back on track.

"Masquerade… but that doesn't really help with the dress does it?" Teru asked curiously, being poor meant she was unsure on the lesser points of dresses and general girly-ness.

"Well, I would go for more of a ball gown, and of course we're going to have to get you a mask." Riko said with a smile. This was fun for her, and now that she knew that she would need a mask, she knew just the place. "Let's get out of here… I think I know a better place to look." She said as she walked out of the shop in which they had again found nothing.

Teru didn't ask any questions and just followed Riko out of the mall and into the parking lot. As they climbed into Kurosaki's car which Riko had borrowed, she wondered where they would be going, but didn't ask. She relaxed into the passenger seat in which she had sat on numerous occasions. She had always liked his car, it was spacious and comfortable with room to stretch out when need be.

Riko turned the key and began driving. She flipped the radio to the rock station that was her preference and began to sing a song that Teru had heard before, but didn't know all that well. Knowing the rhythm but not the words, Teru hummed and watched the city go by out her window.

Eventually the car stopped and Riko got out of the car with Teru following a moment or two later. The place in which they had stopped looked like a house and was in the residential district. The only thing that told Teru that they were actually at a store at all was a small wooden sign with the words "Jasmine Consignment" on it and small lettering on the window stating that inside a person could find new and used clothing, one of a kind artisan creations, antiques, and imported goods. Regardless of its placement, it seemed to be kept up well from the outside and had flowers planted in window boxes below purple cookie cutter shutters. The entire place was cream with purple trim, doors, and accents which were the same color as the shutters. The entrance to the store was a normal door with a pretty design in the glass. There were concrete steps to get up to the door and on either side of the steps there were black wrought iron rails. The whole place had a very charmingly ornate feel to it, and Teru was more than a little surprised that she had never noticed it before. She supposed it was just a hole in the wall type of place.

"You've been here before I'm guessing?" Teru asked Riko after seeing that the place was off the beaten path.

"Yes, its owned by a friend of a friend. I think it may have a mask if not a dress too." She said with a smile. The last time she had been in the shop, it had been full of hand crafted Venetian carnival masks. They were beautifully made, and though she had only been here a week previous, she was unsure whether or not there would be any left. Riko started walking to the shop with Teru close by her side. They would probably find a mask here, but she was unsure of whether or not they would find a dress. She knew that they carried handmade and slightly used prom dresses, but she had never looked at them herself. When she came here she was usually far more interested in the jewelry and trinkets.

As they entered the shop Teru smiled, everything about the place was inviting and different from most stores. The walls were painted purple with white trim, and there was a fair amount of décor to be seen. It radiated a feeling of happiness, and Teru had a feeling she would find exactly what she wanted here.

"Hey Jazzy." Riko said to a young western looking woman behind the counter. She had long brown hair with a purple streak through it and a very European looking face. She looked like she could be French or English.

"Hey Riko, what are you looking for today?" she asked as she leisurely filed her nails which, like her shop, were painted purple.

"Masks for prom if you have any… and while we're at it, maybe a dress." Riko said nonchalantly with a shrug as she walked towards the area of the store in which she had last seen the masks, Teru close in tow.

"I've got a few left, dresses are in the back… good timing too, they're all on sale for prom season. Accessories are on sale too if you're interested."

"Thanks." Riko said simply as she reached the shelf which, as promised, contained the remaining masks.

Teru was amazed by the masks. She knew that they were all handmade artisan pieces, but she found it hard to believe even a master artist could create such splendid wearable art. There were about a half dozen left, each very different from the last. There were two that seemed to be meant to look like animal's faces. One looked like a wolf and the other like a tiger. They were beautifully painted and so realistic that it seemed there was real fur on the mask. Another was in the shape of a butterfly. It was blue and silver on the wings with black as the "body" and detailing color. It covered the eye area and cheeks, but not the mouth or the entire nose. It was made even more unique by the gem stones set in the silver parts of the wings. It was so beautiful that Teru had a hard time tearing her eyes away to look at the others, but she did.

Though the butterfly mask was beautiful, Teru felt as though it wasn't "her". She liked butterflies as much as the next girl, but it just didn't feel right to wear it. She knew that it wasn't the perfect mask for her. Looking at the next mask she smiled, it was covered completely in newsprint with a flower on the side also seemingly made of newsprint. It was obviously done with decoupage, because though it looked like perfectly normal paper, it was as hard as a rock and looked near impossible to peel.

The two final masks were very Mardi Gras looking with feathers, gems, and jewel tones on masks that just covered the eye area. They were gilded in some places with gold and silver paint used to create spirals and patterns. As beautiful as they were, they were simply too ostentatious and flashy for her.

Looking over the masks, Teru loved them all. They were beautiful and wonderfully crafted with a uniqueness that was unparalleled. Yet, not a one called out to her the way she thought it would.

"Why don't we check out the dresses?" Riko asked Teru after seeing her face of indecision. She had a feeling that she would have liked the much calmer and plainer masks that she had seen in the shop the week previous.

"Oh, okay." Teru said walking with Riko to the back of the store where a sign atop a silver metal rack boasted sale clearance on all prom dresses. It was a small rack, but almost all the dresses on it touched the floor… a much better sign compared to stores they had been in previously.

There were cocktail dresses, mini dresses, bridesmaid dresses, party dresses, and ball gowns of all types on a single rack. They all looked as if they were brand new though the sign above labeled them all as used. One glance at the price tags on the majority of the gowns made Teru smile. They were all less than one hundred dollars, and though she couldn't see herself spending much more than fifty dollars without feeling bad, the prices were much reduced in comparison of previous stores.

It barely took her a moment to find exactly what she had been looking for all along. It was a light blue ball gown with beading on the top. It was corset laced in the back, and seemed to be in her size. Of course she wouldn't know until she tried it on, but as she pulled it off the rack to get a better look, she gasped. It was like a fairy tale.

Looking at it once it was off the rack simply took her breath away. It was not only beaded on the top, but there were little crystals sewn to look like flowers, leaves, and vines all over the dress. It was more than perfect, and she knew that she had to have it.

"Oh Teru!" Riko gasped as soon as she saw her dear friend's face. She knew the feeling of finding a perfect dress, and what Teru was holding in her hands was the most perfect gown she had ever seen. Simply thinking about Teru wearing that dress was bringing tears to her eyes. "Is that the dress?" She asked though she already knew the answer was yes.

"Yes." She said still awe struck from the beauty of the dress. She hoped and prayed that it would fit, because she couldn't imagine that feeling of sorrow she would feel if it did not. "Can I try it on?" She asked holding it up to herself, trying to see herself wearing something so lovely.

"Of course." Riko said as she led her off into the direction of a purple and white sign labeled 'Dressing Room'.

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Teru and Riko's shopping trip will be continued in the next chapter! Goodbye for now, and please review :)


	2. The End Of The Trip

I promise we'll be getting into the Teru x Kurosaki action very very soon, but for now, I give you the conclusion to the shopping trip!

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"Perfect." Riko repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time as Teru twirled and swirled in the dress. They had found at least one of the things that they were going to need, and as it ended up, it was the most important part. All she needed now were shoes, a mask, and jewelry, but Teru, being the economical girl she was, refused to get new jewelry for prom. She wasn't the type to wear a lot of jewelry and told Riko that she would just wear something that she had or something borrowed from a friend. She refused to allow Riko to pay for jewelry or even shoes, when she was already buying her a dress.

The dress was actually very inexpensive for what it was and for how well it was made. A single look at the inside tag had told Riko that the dress was top of the line designer, and a quick look over the dress didn't indicate that it had even been worn. Despite the fact that it was missing an original store tag, and the fact that it was from the designer's line from a few years back, it looked as if it were just taken out of a pricy boutique in some huge city. Being that it was an apparently 'used' dress, it was only one hundred and sixty dollars in the face of the fact that it was in actuality a five hundred dollar minimum gown. That fact, plus the half off sale made it eighty, and Riko was sure that she could make Jasmine go even lower on it. Teru did not underestimate her haggling power and had a feeling that once it all worked out, they would be paying less than seventy dollars for the dress.

Still with the reduced price, Teru felt guilty about making her dear friend buy her a prom dress. Though she had insisted that it was her treat and that she wanted to do it, Teru still felt bad. She hated the feeling that she was taking advantage of anyone, especially those around her.

"Perfect." Repeated another voice from behind as Teru once again strutted her stuff in the dress. It made her feel like a princess and it was good to know that she actually did look the way she felt.

"Ring me up Jasmine." Riko responded, "Because this is a keeper."

It was true; the dress was a keeper, so much so that Teru didn't want to take it off at all. She was not used to gowns such as this, but at the same time, she felt as if it were fate that she came here and put on that dress. When she had put it on, it fit her like a glove, as if it were made for her. If she hadn't seen herself in the mirror, she probably wouldn't have believed it when she put it on. If it weren't for the fact that they found it here, she would have believed that it had been made for her specifically, but sitting on a rack of pre-owned dresses, she knew that it wasn't true. Though, the dresses, according to Riko were made to order, whoever had ordered the dress must have been Teru's exact build, A-cup and all.

That was something that she had immediately noticed upon donning the gown, it was tight in all the right places and gave her girlish body a very womanly silhouette. It created curves where naturally she had had little to none. It made her feel powerful and sexy. It even did work to make her chest look larger than it was. The way the fabric and top style were on the dress's front make her small A-cup chest look like at least a B or even a nearly C.

"Try this on." Jasmine said to Teru as she handed her a mask that she had not yet seen. It was pure white with black vines creeping across it in paint.

"Oh My God." Teru said as she looked at herself in the mask and the dress. Things were all falling in to place now. It was all so perfect that she almost asked for Riko to pinch her and awaken her from what she thought must be a dream. Things never worked out so perfectly for her, and the light in her eyes told Riko that they had found exactly what they had been looking for.

"Where was that hiding?" Riko asked Jasmine with a laugh though she could not tear her eyes away from Teru's bright smile. Right now, she really did feel as if she were her older sister, and a very proud sister at that. She knew that if Soichiro were here, he would be twirling around just like Teru in an insane glee. He had always turned into such a goofball when Teru was involved, and Riko could only imagine what he would be acting like seeing her so happy. She smiled with the fond thoughts of her late lover and friend.

"It was in the case, because it's not meant to be sold by itself." As she said this, Jasmine held up another mask that was the exact inverse of the one that was on Teru's face. It was completely black with white vines painted on it. She handed it to Riko, then added, "I'm not really willing to sell them separately, but I will if I have to, because she looks fabulous."

With that, Teru blushed and Jasmine walked to the front of the store telling them both that she would be there if they needed her. Teru had to admit that she was an excellent sales woman, because she had erased any doubts in her mind and insured the fact that the dress and mask were exactly what she wanted. She also knew that she wanted the masks as a set. She didn't want to separate such a perfect pair, and having both masks would serve as encouragement to fight fear and invite Kurosaki to go with her. She wondered if he would even wear the mask if she asked him to go. Whether he did or didn't, she knew that she wanted those masks.

It didn't take more than a minute for Riko and Teru to check out, load up into the car and head back home. It was amazing how perfect things were going, and all that was left to do was invite Kurosaki and pray that he would not say no. Teru tried not to think about the anxiety too much, but it was hard when she knew that asking him was going to be much harder than dress shopping.

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Thanks for reading! Please review, I promise things will be getting... interesting... to say the least in the next chapter.


	3. Working Together

Hey there :D I just want to start out by saying I have the best readers... EVER! You guys gave me some of the best reviews I have ever read! I really appreciate it and I'd like to thank you again! Here's the new chapter for y'all, and I'm hoping to have the fourth chapter ready before school starts (Next Wednesday).

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The heat was almost unbearable, especially for being midday in early May. It was especially harsh when you considered the fact that the sun was out shining bright and white hot. Teru still wasn't sure how she had become Kurosaki's slave girl. She vaguely remembered smashing a window, but was sure she had long since worked it off. She was weeding yet another flower bed in the school's court yard though she was not wearing her usual work attire. Instead of her usual hat and hoodie she had decided to wear a tank top and sun hat, which were much more comfortable in the given conditions.

She was sure that she could leave or simply not work without him saying a word to her, but she couldn't help herself but stay. She still hadn't asked him to prom and was looking for the perfect moment to do so. If that opportunity presented itself whilst helping him garden, then so be it. Besides that, she really did enjoy the work regardless of the temperature. She liked to tend to the flora and the grounds, and she also enjoyed the time spent with Kurosaki. He was a delinquent janitor, but he was her delinquent janitor.

She glanced over to see him looking at her and resting comfortably under a shady tree. He was as usual letting her do most of the work. By now she expected it to happen, and was actually surprised that he had helped out at all by mowing and raking the grass. She had caught him staring at her, and the moment he saw her looking back, he pretended to be looking elsewhere. She told herself that it was nothing to get excited about and instead muttered her usual chorus of "Go Bald" under her breath.

"It's too hot out to do this today." He said; his dyed blonde hair swaying as he shook his head. "It should never be this hot in May."

Teru almost scoffed; at least he was in the shade. Even wearing a thin tank top and shorts, it was almost too hot to breathe. She was wishing for a pool or a sprinkler when her overheated brain gave her an idea for a little bit of mischief. She finished pulling out the last of the weeds from around the flowers and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She may have been sweating, but he was soon to be soaked.

She walked along casually and grabbed the hose under the guise that she was about to water the flowers that she had weeded. However, that was not the action or plan that she had in mind. When she was about half way back to her flower bed, she opened fire.

"GO BALD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she unleashed the power of the hose, equipped with a jet nozzle, directly in Kurosaki's face.

His eyes were closed when it happened, so it took a moment for him to understand exactly what had hit him. He felt the water hit him and quickly moved away putting his hands in front of his face; it wasn't until he heard her say "Go bald" that he realized exactly what had happened. When he finally understood, it was obvious from just his face that he was not amused. If looks could kill, Teru would have been a goner. He sprung up from his place under the shady tree and all but growled, "You Brat!"

Teru squealed and dropped the hose, knowing that she was in trouble now. She ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction knowing that if he caught her, the outcome would not be pretty. Rather than try to apologize or accept her punishment as it was, she decided to try to run away and only worsen the inevitable. "Baldy!" She shouted back to him as she ran as fast as she could away from him. However, she was too slow because though he didn't chase her, he was too fast for her.

The moment she had taken off running he had grabbed the hose and pointed it in her direction opening the nozzle's valve all the way to let out the maximum amount of water at the maximum amount of force. It had been so strong that it nearly blew her over, and was at the very least, extremely effective in stopping her attempt at fleeing.

She ran away from the water, but he just kept following her with it, until eventually she just gave up running. "Stop!" She shouted trying to block the water with her arms, "Alright already! I give up!"

At hearing her admittance of defeat he switched off the water and smirked. As long as he lived, he would not let her win if he could help it… except for at mahjong. He had won more than he bargained for however. When he realized how she now stood before him… soaking wet from head to foot. Her green tank top clung tightly to her body with its wetness and her shorts were sopping wet. He tried to keep his Lolita complex in check and reminded himself that he was lucky that she hadn't been wearing her school uniform at the time. It was after school hours, and she had changed, luckily for him. "Good." He said with a twinge of angry arrogance in his voice, "Now be a good little servant and grab me a towel."

She gave him an angry glare, though internally she was just angry that he had beaten her at her own game. "Go bald!" She interjected at him once again, acting stubborn and not moving to complete his request. So far, this was not going at all as planned… if he hadn't been so stupid and sat under the tree… had he just helped out, maybe she would have asked him by now.

He didn't even retort, he just raised the hose again and pointed it at her. An action to which she responded with walking off to apparently do what he had asked. As soon as she was out of sight, he sighed, "Smooth…" He muttered to himself. Lately he just hadn't been able to be around her without doing something stupid or something that just felt… wrong. It was difficult for him to find a happy medium between his personalities around her anymore. His affections for her and his "Daisy" personality wanted to prevail, but he felt as if it was wrong to let those feelings out all the time. So he had begun to counter those feelings with more of his rude side. He knew he was doing it wrong, and he wanted so badly to find a way to make it all up to her, but he was just too stubborn, and he knew it.

What could he do? He wanted her to love him for him, not for Daisy, but when Daisy had been so much of him and so very close to her, he found it hard to let it go. Apparently, so had she. He had seen her texting recently, to a contact still listed under Daisy. She had seen her write like she had used to, but he knew that she hadn't sent it. He had a feeling that she had continued writing to Daisy and had been using it as a bit of comfort. He didn't care if she was doing it, but he wished he could find some way to talk to her about it. There was actually a lot he wanted to talk about, but finding time to talk or the words to say was getting to be generally impossible for him.

"Here ." She said seeming miffed as she returned and threw a towel at him, lacking one for herself and still soaking wet.

He caught the towel and began by drying his hair. However he wasn't thinking about getting dry, but was instead thinking about her demeanor. She seemed to be very upset when normally she wasn't so easily hurt. He knew that there had to be something else wrong.

He removed his shirt and threw it off to the side as he dried himself off. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he just didn't know what to say, so he just threw her the mostly dry towel and waited for her to dry off.

She dried herself minimally. Though she didn't want to be wet, it was hot out and she was already miserable as it was. She really didn't even care to bother drying off when the sun would probably evaporate most of the water. She knew her underwear and bra were going to stay wet until she got home to change it, but didn't honestly care. She was in a bad mood, and she didn't think anything could make it worse.

She hadn't expected it to get better either, but it oddly did. "Thank You." Kurosaki said sounding honest by all means. He didn't seem to be rude or sarcastic, which was a comforting change from what the day had been like thus far.

She didn't respond with a 'no problem', or a 'you're welcome', she just turned away and went back to her work under the hot sun, no longer wishing for any form of water.

"That's enough for today servant." He said sounding only slightly superior and more regretful than usual when it came to him doing something torturous to her. "Let me give you a ride home."

When he offered her the ride, she almost declined knowing that she could just take the bus or catch a ride with Riko. However, his tone changed her mind. Though he had just hurt her feelings mere moments ago, he sounded genuinely sorry and even a little self-loathing. She knew that he always felt regretful after hurting her feelings or doing something mean to her, but his reaction wasn't usually so quick. As a general rule it took him hours if not days to apologize for something, and though he hadn't yet said the words, she knew they were soon to come, and suddenly felt sorry herself.

It had been a little uncalled for to spray him with the hose. After all, she could have just left him alone completely and went home, leaving him with the work. After all she really didn't have to work for him anymore, and wouldn't have stopped her from leaving. That would have been the far more adult reaction, and it just reminded her further of how much of a child she was.

She was eighteen now, but she was acting like a child. She blushed and chided herself silently for her own stupidity as she accepted his offer for a ride. She was just as guilty as he was, and knew that she needed to apologize to him, something she could do in the car with him.

He began to walk to his vehicle with Teru in tow. He looked at her discreetly as he walked, trying to gauge her emotions. Typically her emotional state read like a pop-up book to him, but lately she had been doing a better job of hiding what she was feeling. He didn't like the thought of her hiding anything from him, but he couldn't blame her. He had hid so much from her since they had first met, and even with it all out in the open, he couldn't blame her for becoming guarded.

He could see in just the way that she was walking and by the look on her face that she was upset. He had a feeling that she was thinking about something that was less than blissful. He thought that she did too much thinking sometimes, but it was an opinion he never really voiced. "I'm sorry." He said so low that she could barely hear him say it. He had a feeling that she was upset about what he had done, and he had to admit to himself that he could have handled the situation better from the beginning. Maybe if he hadn't been so busy laying around watching her work, none of this would have happened at all. Maybe if he would have helped her out rather than just watch her like a pervert, they would have had a better time… maybe they would have even talked for a while. Since the end of their Daisy correspondences, it seemed like they didn't talk nearly enough. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he really missed having heart to hearts with her.

She heard him though soft he whispered. She knew that he was going to apologize, so she did so in suit, "I'm sorry I sprayed you with the hose…" She muttered, avoiding his eye and feeling far more guilty than normal when it came to their usual petty battles.

"It's my fault for not helping you…" He countered feeling honestly repentant. He wished that he could just go back and change today, but if he had the power to go back and do things differently… honestly today would have never happened in the first place. If he could go back to the beginning of it all, he would have changed so many of his decisions that he would never have been Daisy… there would be no secrets, no pain, no hacking, and no Jack of Frost. As much as he wished he could change it all, he couldn't help but wonder if by changing it all, he would never have met Teru… with that thought, changing it all didn't seem like such a huge deal.

"I acted childish… I apologize." She said again, though this time seeming very sheepish in her regret.

"I acted the same… you have nothing to be sorry about." He admitted as he unlocked his car and got in. This was the closest thing to an actual emotional conversation they had had in a long time, and though he was ashamed of the reason surrounding it, he was glad they were talking.

She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing and sat down in her seat. As she buckled her seat belt and closed the door, she knew that there was nothing else she could say on the topic.

He strapped himself in and began to drive knowing that she wasn't going to say anything else, but at the same time he hoped she would. He wanted so badly to talk to her more about something… anything of meaning. He wasn't going to be the one to start conversation, but he felt like there was so much that he was missing out on because they hadn't been speaking. He just wanted the lines of communication between them to be open, but recently they had shriveled and dwindled to nothing, and he knew there was something up she wasn't talking about. There was some type of secret that she didn't want him knowing.

He looked at her in quick glances out of the corner of his eye while keeping the majority of his concentration on the road. She had grown up a lot since they had first started talking through Daisy. She'd had to put up with so much in her time, and though she looked young, he knew that she had gone through hell and back. Though they'd never talked about it, they were very similar in that, so he knew the way she felt in at least some ways. She looked like a normal, beautiful girl; she had big blue eyes and light pink lips with a perfect glowing complexion. She rarely wore makeup or did anything too fancy with her hair, but other than that, she was an average teenage girl in appearance. Underneath that, though, he knew she had scars that ran deep… he knew she hurt inside, and he knew because he had been through or caused most of it.

When they were safely backed in at their apartment complex, she quickly unfastened her seat belt, "Thank you for the ride." She said quickly as she reached for the door handle. She knew she had to go quickly before she did or said something she regretted… at this rate she felt as if she would never be able to tell him anything, let alone invite him to Prom.

"Wait!" He said quickly, unable to control himself, "If something is up…you can tell me. I promise I won't do anything like earlier…" He almost slapped his forehead in reaction to his own stupidity, he sounded so desperate. "I mean… if there's something on your mind, maybe we could talk about it…" He tried to reword it so that he wouldn't sound so odd, but ended up just sounding like some kind of shrink. Why was it so much easier to text these things to her?

"Oh…" She said in surprise. She hadn't expected him to pick up on anything, and she really hadn't expected him to say anything about it. "Well… I just have a question to ask." She said trying to sound calm after the shock of his sudden offer to talk.

He nearly sighed with relief, nothing was wrong, she just had a question. It was probably just something harmless… after all; she was possibly the most innocent girl he had ever met. His only hope now was that it wasn't something awkward like a question about sex or something related… he was not ready to hear something like that escape her sweet lips.

"I was wondering if you would want to go to prom with me?" She asked quickly, adding in "You can say no if you want."

He was shocked and nearly scared to death… with a question like that she may as well have shot him. How was he supposed to respond?

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Sorry, got a little cliffy there! Please review and tell your friends, you'll get Kurosaki's response soon :D


	4. The Flower Garden

So this is my first update while in school. I hope to update more often now that I have two or three study halls per day **sighs and smacks head**

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"You did what?" Riko growled looking as if she were ready to kill someone. Unfortunately for him, Kurosaki was that someone, and as he had often learned, there was no wrath like Riko's scorn.

"I just told her I'd have to think about it." He said trying to act casual though inside he wanted to run away before he ended up dead. His only hope was that Master Masuda was on his side and wouldn't allow Riko to kill him quite yet.

"Why didn't you just say yes?" The Master asked seeming to be almost as miffed as Riko… possibly more given the fact that he had just taken the beer Kurosaki had bought from him and was currently dumping it down the drain. Why did he always have to take his anger out on his alcohol? It wasn't as if Kurosaki were an alcoholic or anything, he was just an adult enjoying a beer or two with some friends in his friend's bar… that was what he had thought anyway before Riko came in and started screaming.

"I just need some time to think about it, I mean really I'm an adult and she's a high school student… it's truthfully not a good idea anyway." He was doing his very best to defend his stance against then, and continued, "I mean honestly how would it look? She would probably get ridiculed for it and I would lose my job."

Riko shook her head, "She gets picked on everyday anyway… you know about that as well as I do! Plus, her friends don't care, and you know the saying, 'those who care don't matter and those that matter don't care'."

This is where Andy decided to jump in, " You wouldn't lose your job, I'd make sure of that." Kurosaki didn't really care to hear his opinion, but with all of them suddenly ganging up on him, he didn't know who to look to.

"You're not even going to keep the job once she graduates anyway Kurosaki; we all know you're going to move to be closer to her depending on where she plans on going for college." Riko added this in with a scoff.

"This is between me and Teru." Kurosaki said interrupting their continued banter on his reaction. He wouldn't admit it to them, but he had actually been surprised she asked, and a little frightened by it. It wasn't that he was afraid of going to her prom with her, he was afraid of the implications of going to prom with her. Being her date could imply that they were dating or would be soon, and as of now he wasn't ready for that level of commitment with her. He wasn't ready to be a man yet… not for her. He loved her far too much to rush in and possibly hurt her. He couldn't ever imagine hurting her more than he already had… the thought of it broke his heart.

There was a stunned silence for a few moments where no one spoke. It seemed as if it all may just blow over… until Riko opened her mouth…

"Cut the crap and just say yes already." She said in a biting tone as she threw something at him and stomped over to the exit of Ohanabatake, Master Masuda's bar and grill. Before slamming the door she added, "That's for you."

After Riko's departure, things calmed down exponentially. The master and Andy said nothing else and just drank slowly from the beers that they both had, allowing for there to be an awkward silence during which Kurosaki had nothing to do but inspect the item Riko had thrown. Being without a drink thanks to the Master's reaction to his story, Kurosaki's only escape from the tension was to look over what she had thrown.

He looked at it puzzled for a moment or two. It was a mask, but why would she throw a mask at him? It was jet black with white detailing on it. The detailing looked like some kind of ivy or vine to him, and though he wasn't one for costumes or that sort of thing, he thought it was pretty cool to look at. He ran his fingers over the surface of it a few times and flipped it around to see it at different angles. It was apparently supposed to be held on to ones face by ribbon that was on either side of the mask. The only indication of it being anything of value or specialness to him was the fact that there was an artist's signature painted on the inside of the mask.

When he finally understood why she had thrown it at him, he nearly slapped his forehead at his own stupidity. "Prom is a masquerade…" He muttered to himself, annoyed with his own mind for not immediately picking up on it. After all, he had seen the posters all throughout the halls, and previous to today, he already had prom plans of his own.

"Are you going to go with her?" Masuda asked, now much calmer after Riko's exit. "I mean you already have a room at the hotel anyway."

It was true; he did have a room reserved for him at the Greenstone Hotel, the location of Teru's prom. He hadn't gotten the room to snoop or stalk her or anything like that… he wasn't even going to let her know that he had a room there. He had just planned on spending the night in the room and being close by in case she needed him… He knew that she was a smart girl and wasn't going to do the usual after prom activities, but he wanted to be there in case somebody didn't take no for an answer… or in case some less than savory characters showed up uninvited…

"I don't know…" Kurosaki replied sounding almost sad. "I don't want to let her down, but I don't know if this is what Soichiro would have wanted…"

Andy and Masuda shared a look like they were both silently conversing about something unspoken. To his amazement Masuda slid him a new, full, bottle of beer and Andy patted him on the back from the next bar stool over. Master suddenly began to speak and let Kurosaki in on his and Andy's silent conversation, "There's a lot of things everyday where we all ask ourselves 'What would Soichiro say?', or 'What would Soichiro do?', but there's no question in my mind that he would want the two of you to be happy. He always joked about you dating his little sister, but I think it was more than just a joke… I think he honestly wanted the two of you to love each other. Why wouldn't he want his best friend to love and care for his younger sister?"

"Plus," Andy added, "he knew you were a perverted Lolicon, so he knew it would all work out!" He said this with a big smile, and he sounded a bit too cheerful for Kurosaki's taste, but still the sentiment was there… at least in Masuda's words.

After smacking Andy a good one, Kurosaki took a mouthful of his drink, maybe they were right? He couldn't help but smile back to Masuda when he saw the grin on his face… he always knew just what to say to him… "I'm going to do it!" Kurosaki decided setting the drink back on the bar and slapping some cash down as he stood up and walked towards the door and departed. "Thanks."

The 'thanks' wasn't as loud as the rest of what he had said, but the sentiment was still there and Masuda appreciated it. "Ah young love." He said with a small smile as he slid Kurosaki's bottle to Andy and threw the cash in his tip jar. Sometimes he was so happy to be a part of the old Kurebayashi team, and now he was happiest being on team Teru.

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Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	5. I'm Sorry

I'm sorry my updates have been a little unreliable to say the least. I've been trying my best with all of the things I do, and I promise that I'll update more frequently than I do now as soon as I get internet at my house. I may not update a lot until december, because thats when I get internet here... Its probably sad that I'm so excited that Frontier decided to put DSL in my area, but not paying seventy five dollars a month for satillite internet that doesn't even work really is making me happy. I promise that as soon as I get DSL I'll have steady updates until the story ends... in the meantime, thanks so much for your patience.

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He was extremely lucky that there weren't any police around, because he was pretty sure that going sixty in a residential area wasn't totally legal. It wasn't as if he was the type to obey the law anyway, he preferred to work in the grey area, but he was lucky to not get caught in the grey today. He was a man on a mission, speeding to get to his destination, because he knew now that he had made a mistake. He should have just said yes in the first place, and he now saw the error of his ways. His only hope was that it was not too late to rectify his error.

He pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex with a squeal of his car's tires. Vehicles like his were hardly made for the type of high speed handling he was asking from it, but by some miracle he and his car made it home and into a parking space in one piece. It barely took him a second to put the car in park, turn it off, pull out the keys, jump out and run. It was amazing the speed at which he could move at when he needed to.

He ran as fast as he could to his floor and barged into Teru and Riko's shared apartment without so much as knocking. He would apologize for this later, but in his rush, he had barely thought to do so, or had and just simply not bothered with it. "Teru!" He shouted desperately though he was panting from his speedy travel to his current location. There was no sign that Riko had returned home after the bar incident, and as far as he could see, Teru was the only one home. She was sitting on the couch with her head down and hair covering her face. He couldn't see her expression because of this, but he could just feel that something was wrong. He braced himself as he closed the door behind him.

She looked up towards him at the utterance of her name. "Kurosaki?" She asked sounding very confused and surprised though her voice was low and quiet. She looked at him with puffy, reddened eyes that gave away the fact that she had just been crying. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and in all she seemed to be extremely upset.

He could see that she had been crying, and just knowing that killed him inside. He had a pretty good feeling that those tears were his fault, and he hated to think that she had hurt because of his previous actions. He wanted to make her smile again, and he knew he could as long as she would forgive him from his earlier actions and failure. He heard her answer back with his name, and could not find the words he wanted to say. He, instead held up the only item he had brought with him when he traveled here to find her, he lifted up the mask to show her, as if it would explain everything.

She saw him hold up the mask and blushed, in her lap was its match; together they were a perfect inverse pair. She had been holding it pretty much every moment since she had gotten it, but after her incident with Kurosaki earlier, she had just cried over it. She felt as if he had already said no, and something in her heart just broke when it had happened… and that part of her that cracked seemed to have a strong connection to the mask. She supposed that that connection had to do with the fact that she had so badly wanted to wear the mask and could not imagine doing so without someone to be by her side in the match. She lifted her mask out of her lap and showed him hers in return.

"Teru…" He repeated, this time with pain in his voice rather than desperation. He hated making her upset, and knowing the she had been crying was crushing him inside. It was as if every time she felt hurt by something he had done or by something related to him, a little part of his heart broke off and died. It was painful, and he greatly needed her to be okay again. "I should have just said yes…"

She arched her eyebrows in surprise, she had hoped that he had come to tell her something like that, but never in a million years did she think that he actually would. "What?" She said, even though she had heard him correctly, she needed it repeated just to grasp the concept of what he was saying. Was he really saying that he had made a mistake by not saying yes? Was that what he was there to do now? She could scarcely imagine why he was here other than to say that he had changed his mind.

"I'm sorry I didn't say yes to you in the first place…" He said as he ran his hand through his hair nervously. He hadn't really formulated much of a plan or much of a speech before coming; he had a habit of just flying by the seat of his pants in all things involving Teru. He wished now that he had thought of something to say that sugar coated the truth or at the very least made it sound better. "I just thought that I should say no to you because I'm an adult and you're a high school student. I thought that you would end up hurt if I went with you, or that you would be disappointed by the way things would end up, but I see now that it was worse of me to just leave you hanging on a maybe." He shook his head sadly and looked at her once again, "I'm sorry."

She didn't know what to say, her mouth hung open and she struggled to find words with which she could tell him how she felt. Even if she could speak, she wasn't sure of what feelings to tell him about. At the moment she didn't know how she felt… She was feeling confused, happy, sad, excited, and scared. She didn't know what she should be feeling in her current situation, so she supposed all she could say was, "Whoa…" She wasn't sure if it was a good whoa or a bad whoa, but whoa it was and whoa was how she felt.

He wasn't sure how to take her 'whoa', but he knew that he had a question to ask her, and an important question at that. "Would you still like me to go with you?" He hoped that she would say yes, while at the same time, part of him wished she would say no. It was true that he loved her, but it was also true that he wasn't quite ready to be hers yet. There was no other woman for him, nor did he want any other, it was just simply that he wasn't sure if he was emotionally ready to have her be his. He tried to tell himself that going to Prom together wouldn't mean that they were dating, but at the same time, he couldn't see himself not asking her out after going to prom with her. After all, he wasn't going to put her through something like that twice, and he was not going to say, 'Let's just be friends.' He wished that there was some kind of guide or manual to their relationship, but he knew there wasn't one. Some things just can't be analyzed or explained like programs and technology.

There was no question about it to her; of course she still wanted him to go with her. She was going to go with him or not at all at this point. "Yes." She said softly, still unsure of whether or not this was all some kind of dream. "Pinch me…" She muttered almost inaudibly, talking to herself.

"You're not dreaming…" He said with a chuckle and a breath of relief. He knew she wasn't dreaming, because he was sure that if she were, she would dream up a far better date to prom than him… Someone nicer, younger, and someone who didn't make her cry.

"Prove it." She said, finding her voice again, and also finding their usual dynamic once more. Things were so much more comfortable when they were teasing each other.

He gave her a look, but then walked over to where she was sitting on the couch and sat next to her. He moved his hand and used it to tilt her face up so she was looking him in the eye. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" He said rather sexily while moving his face very near to hers. He slid his hand up to touch her cheek and awaited her response.

She could hardly believe what he was doing. She blushed crimson, and bit her lip for a moment. "Yes…" She said softly and slowly. She had had dreams like this before, but this was too vivid to be any dream. She could feel his touch and could hear him breathing, two things that were improbable if not impossible in any dream.

"Yes what?" He asked, making sure that she knew her place. Prom or not, she was still his little slave girl and always would be… he refused to ever let her pay off that debt. He loved her, and he loved to tease her just as much.

"Yes, please…" She said lightly, still scarcely believing what was happening to her. It was almost too good to be true, and she would do whatever it took to make her dream a reality.

He was looking for her to say, 'Yes please, master.', but 'yes please' was going to have to work for him. "As You wish…" He said as he brought his lips less than a centimeter away from hers. He could see her blush deepen as he did so. He smirked and almost laughed as he brought his hand away from her cheek and pinched her nose. "Awake?" He asked trying his very hardest not to laugh out loud while doing so.

She felt like she had run into a brick wall of emotional whiplash. She should have known that he was just going to mess with her. After all it seemed to be his favorite thing to do. "Go Bald Kurosaki!" She said rather oddly because she had her nose clamped shut but his index finger and thumb. Sometimes he was just a little too cruel for her. She nearly cried again, simply because her emotional state was already compromised, but she stayed strong and instead thought about how many different ways she could remove all the hair from his head… There were violent ways, like setting it on fire or plucking each and every hair out with tweezers, and there were calmer ways such as shaving or cutting it off. She even though about replacing his shampoo with hair remover and just the thought off his shiny bald head made her cheer up.

He was laughing now, covering his mouth with his hand to try to stop for a second so that he could possibly catch his breath. "What did you think I was going to do?" He said, desperately trying to stop laughing, but finding it a next to impossible task to complete. He felt a bit bad for again hurting her feelings, but he had done it so hysterically this time that he couldn't help but laugh. He would apologize later, as usual, but for now, he could hardly believe his own evil genius.

"Go Bald…" She repeated while trying to keep a firm grip on her emotional state. She was upset at him for being so mean, but at the same time she knew he only did what he did because he was uncomfortable and it made him feel better to pick on her a little bit. She too felt a bit more at peace when he was picking on her, and she on him like normal, but this time it stung a little too much for her liking. She blamed it on her earlier crying.

He stopped laughing after a few moments "You wanted me to kiss you didn't you?" He wasn't teasing her anymore, just honestly asking her a question that he wanted to know the answer to. He didn't just want to know, he needed to know. It was a question that had been eating at him for quite a while, but he had a feeling he knew the answer, especially because she hadn't moved her face away when he had gotten close. He felt like it were important for him to know because he wanted to kiss her eventually… if in fact she wanted him to. He wasn't ready to do so today, but it was good to know for the next day, or the day after, or months later… for whenever he decided to do so.

She blushed crimson. Of course she wanted him to kiss her… she loved him, and had dreamed of kissing him for quite some time. She didn't want to respond to his question even though she knew that he wasn't picking on her anymore. There was just something in her heart that made admitting something like that feel very final and ultimate. Feelings like that were scary, especially for an eighteen year old girl. She knew she had to respond to him, his eyes were too pleading for her not to, but the words caught in her throat as she tried to speak calmly, so instead of a level headed adult response like she planned to convey to him, she stammered a small and very quiet, "Yes…"

He knew that she was going to say yes, but it still took him off guard for a moment. He wasn't ready for such an admittance of feelings and intentions quite yet, but being the one to dredge them up, he knew he had to be mature about their current situation. Part of him wanted to kiss her right where she was and right in the moment, but a stronger part of him said no, and to wait before doing it. He wanted to do it at the perfect time, to make it special for her, especially after her true first kiss had been stolen by Akira and technically once by Kurosaki himself by giving her mouth to mouth. Regardless of these facts, he wanted to kiss her and knew better than to do so now. Instead he reached out to her in a quick decision and pulled her up on to him so that her head was on his chest and his arms were encircling her protectively. He wasn't sure what he was protecting her from other than from himself, but he felt as if it were the right thing to do. He said nothing, there were no words to convey what he was feeling, so instead he just sat there with her in his arms until eventually she fell asleep.

He didn't want to leave her alone just to have her wake up confused and afraid without him there, so he stayed holding her for quite some time. Eventually he had shifted to make himself more comfortable and too fell asleep with his lips resting on the top of her head gently. It was just one more way he could bring himself closer to her, and he slept well with her in his arms until he heard the noise of a key hitting a lock. He knew that it was Riko and was prepared for the worst. After all, the last time he had seen her, she was about to kill him. He braced for full Riko impact, but as she entered the apartment, she merely smiled and gestured to him that he could leave. He did and didn't want to leave at the same time. After all it was pretty late, and his bed sounded far more comfortable than the couch on which he had been lying, but there was no Teru in his bed at home. He tried not to wake her as he slid out from under her and gently lowered her so that she lay alone and comfortable on the couch. He put a blanket over her and kissed her forehead gently as if to say goodnight to his one and only Princess.

As he left, Riko said nothing and only gave him a knowing look as if she expected that all of this would happen. She nodded to him as he left with his mask in hand and retreated back to his apartment. It had been a long day, and he barely had time to think and set the mask down before he entered his bedroom and collapsed on his bed.


	6. Beautiful

Sorry for the long time no update I've been giving you guys, but I hope this makes up for it... I spent a lot of time on it.

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"Remember the corsage!" Riko barked from the other end of the phone. She was just across the hallway in her apartment with Teru, Andy, and Master Masuda, but she for some reason was finding it necessary to call him every five minutes or so about every little thing imaginable. She was treating him as though he was going to forget everything and run off somewhere without telling anyone. Of course he was feeling a little flighty, but it was just the butterflies in his stomach… he wasn't going to stand Teru up for anything, and he was going to try his damnedest to make tonight perfect for her… which was the reason he had such butterflies in his stomach. He wasn't sure that he would be able to make things perfect for her. After all he was only human and worse than that he was only himself. He was just hoping and praying that everything would go off without a hitch and that he would be able to see her smile all night long.

"For God's sake Riko, I haven't even showered yet. If you're going to antagonize me on every point of tonight, I would appreciate that it happens in a half-hour or so." He replied crossly. They still had hours until the Prom, but for some reason Riko believed that they had to be ready three hours in advance before they even had to leave.

"I'm sending over Master and Andy to keep you on track." She replied as if she hadn't heard a single word he had just said. "Your door had better be unlocked, because otherwise I've given them orders to break it down." She sounded a bit too gleeful for comfort… Kurosaki honestly thought that she got some kind of sick joy out of making his life miserable.

"What? No!" He stammered out just in time to hear the click that indicated that Riko had ended the call. He glared at the screen of his phone angrily and shouted "Hag!" so loudly that he was sure she could hear it from across the hall. Knowing that she wasn't bluffing about Andy and the Master, he unlocked his door and walked to his bathroom. They would just have to let themselves in, because he wasn't in the mood to give hospitality to uninvited guests.

Closing and locking his bathroom door, he allowed himself the most privacy he would have all night. He was nervous about the whole thing, and was glad to be able to take a shower to clear his head. He started the water and heard a door open and close indicating that the guys had made it across the hallway safely and were now more than likely sitting on his sofa. They were probably going to play video games on his TV while he was in the shower, just because he knew they loved to do so when he wasn't around to tell them they couldn't. Honestly, they were grown men, why couldn't they just buy their own consoles if they honestly loved playing so much? He tried to just ignore everything and act as if it was just a normal day as he removed his shirt and threw a towel over the shower curtain rod. The water was up to temperature by then, so sighing he removed his jeans and his boxers after that.

Stepping into the shower really was an escape to him. With the warm water drumming on his skin, and drops running down his face, he felt the most calm he had since waking up in the morning. It was good to just have a few moments to himself when he felt like everyone was counting on him. He grabbed his shampoo off one of the shower's built in shelves and rubbed and handful into his blonde locks. It foamed as he scrubbed it in, and he was given a few minutes to just focus of getting clean, and nothing else.

However the feeling of calm abruptly ended when he got out of the shower, into a towel and heard Andy calling his name from the living room.

"Will you let me at least put some boxers on before you bother me?" Tasuku shouted while twisting the knob on his bathroom sink to cold in preparation to brush his teeth.

There was a brief pause during which he began to brush his teeth, until the silence was broken again by Andy, "Why does it matter?" He asked in his usual reckless manner. "We've seen you naked before anyway!"

He nearly choked on his toothbrush as he heard a deep laugh that could only belong to Masuda. "I told you to never speak of that again!" He shouted resulting in him spitting out his toothbrush and toothpaste all over his bathroom mirror.

"Yeah, come on Andy!" The master shouted through chuckles, "He doesn't like it when we talk about the company Christmas party… It wasn't his fault he was drunk when Soichiro dared him to run a lap around the building buck naked."

"That was a cold night too!" Andy added in with mock helpfulness before Kurosaki could even open his mouth to respond. "He's lucky he didn't freeze his you know what off!" With that there was another roll of laughter from the two.

To this Kurosaki replied with a variety of cusses that would make even the lewdest sea dog blush crimson. After which he made sure to finish brushing his teeth and clean his mirror off with a towel. He then pulled on his boxers and quickly dried his hair with a fresh towel before emerging from the bathroom just to storm into the living room to chew the two of them out. "What the hell is the big idea?" He asked seething.

To this Andy threw a box to him and said, "Riko made us buy you these because you know… it didn't actually freeze off."

He caught the box, and almost threw it back in anger when he realized what they were. "Condoms? Really guys?" He asked angrily. He was taking the girl to prom, not some kind of college frat party.

"We all know what prom night is like!" Andy said with a big contemplative grin, as if he were remembering his own prom night from many years ago.

Kurosaki wanted badly to reach out and ring his neck right there and then, but the master looked at him in the understanding way he usually did, and it took away the worst of his temper. "I know it's not your plan." Masuda said sympathetically, "But in case the moment arises… We all thought it would be better to be safe than sorry."

He knew that they were just trying to help, and he seriously doubted he would need them, but the Master's speech had made him agree to at least bring them… after all, he was in love with Teru, and who knew what her expectations for prom night were?

"Plus!" Andy added, "We knew you didn't have any, because it's been forever since you got laid!"

"Shut it Andy!" Kurosaki hissed. He was right though… it had been a very long time since he'd even thought about having sex with anyone… after all, Teru had been the only woman on his mind for what felt like forever.

As Kurosaki stalked off to his bedroom to get ready, he heard Masuda talking to Andy in what sounded like a chiding voice… if there was any justice in the world, he was being told off.

Teru stepped out of the shower and felt the butterflies creep into her stomach. Today was Prom. It had seemed like just the other day that Kurosaki had burst into her apartment asking her if she still wanted him to go to Prom with her… and it felt like mere moments ago that she had fallen asleep in his arms, but it had truly been a little over a week. As she dried herself off and dried her hair, she remembered how it had felt when his lips were mere centimeters away from hers, and how much it had hurt to know that it was nothing but a hoax. She wondered if this time, he would actually kiss her. Just the thought made her blush and feel warm all over. She really liked him… rather loved him and nothing made her heart flutter more than the thought that he may kiss her tonight…

However, that wasn't totally true… there was something that made her heart absolutely leap out of her chest… there was something else that people did at Prom that she had heard about from her friends… something that only happened behind closed doors between those whom loved each other or just didn't care… She blushed crimson to even picture it, and knew that it wasn't even a possibility… after all, they were probably just coming back home tonight, and it would be a stretch for him to even kiss her goodnight let alone have sex with her. Besides that she was a virgin, and she knew he must have some kind of experience in that field… Her friends had said it was better that way… to have your first time with someone who had done it before… someone older and someone with tact… She heard that it hurt too your first time, and depending on how you went about it, it could hurt badly or barely at all. She wasn't going to lie. She was afraid of even the thought, but at the same time transfixed.

She was a young woman, so of course she thought about such things, and for such a reason she had gone shopping with Rena, Kako, and the other girls to buy some… things. She didn't have much money of her own, but she had saved for a while and picked up something special for prom… just in case. Of course for some time now she had been a little concerned about her white bras and panties… after all they were so plain and girlish that they hardly befit a young woman of eighteen, so with what little money she had, she had bought herself a gift with the help of her friends. She had told Riko about it too, and she had just smiled and laughed in an older-sister like manner saying that pretty girls did deserve to wear pretty things.

After drying herself off completely, she slipped on the said self-given present. She had bought a brand new bra and pantie set. It was on the expensive side and made of dark blue satin with little black bows and lace… it made her feel pretty just to wear it, and it made her feel as if she was a bit more grown up. Not to mention it had a fair amount of padding to help out her A-cup issue… She couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror once she had put them on. She smiled broadly and felt more feminine than she had ever felt before. On top of this she pulled on an oversized t-shirt that she generally slept in… it used to be her brothers…

Sticking her head out the bathroom door, she called out to Riko, "Are Andy and the Master gone now?" She asked, knowing that Riko had planned to send them to Kurosaki's so that Teru could finish getting ready without the guys being around in case she was indecent for more than a minute or two.

"Yeah, they're gone, the apartment's door is locked, and the blinds are closed… you're all clear!" She responded as she rounded the corner to Teru's bedroom with a garment bag in one hand, while using the other to beckon Teru to follow.

Teru walked out of the bathroom door and followed Riko into her bedroom clad in only her t-shirt, knowing that soon she would be in the dress of her dreams. It all felt like a fairytale to her… she was going to put on a big ball gown, heels, and jewelry… she was going to look beautiful and wear makeup and perfume… Riko was going to do her hair and she was going to put on a mask… It was so surreal, and Teru had never imagined in a million years that she would actually be going to prom at all, let alone be all dolled up to go to prom with the man she was in love with.

As she entered the room, she saw Riko unzip the garment bag and remove the dress of her dreams. She smiled broadly as Riko took it off the hanger and helped her put it on after she had removed her shirt. Sure enough it still fit perfectly, accentuating her figure and making her look like a model at the very least. Riko tied the corset lacing on the back tight enough that it mad the dress highlight her figure further, but not so tight that she couldn't breathe. She felt her tug and the strings and ultimately tie the ribbons into a bow with long tails. It felt wonderful to be in the dress again, and it felt almost like a second skin to Teru. She felt lovely in it, and as she sat down in front of her vanity to let Riko do her hair and makeup, she finally knew what it felt like to be pretty. A smile lit up her face and she thought about someone that she had barely thought of all day… Her brother.

She couldn't help but wonder if he were proud of her right now… looking down on her from heaven, did he think she looked pretty? Was he glad that she was going to prom with Tasuku? She knew that he would be excited to see her go to Prom, and would probably be flipping out and taking pictures every five seconds, but she wondered if he would really be happy about her choices. Of course she knew that he loved her, and that if he were here he would be hugging her and kissing her over and over and over saying that she was the best and most beautiful little sister ever… but all the same she missed him because that was all she could do… imagine… she wished so badly that he could be there at her side right now wiping away all her insecurities and doubts with hugs and smiles.

As she thought about this, she felt Riko's hand touch her shoulder gently as she prepared to style her hair, and she was reminded that even though Soichiro wasn't there with her, he had not left her alone. She smiled a bit broader thinking of Riko's kindness and how Masuda, Andy, and the others would always be there for her. She thought about Kurosaki and how much love she had for him… she also remembered him as Daisy and how much he had taken care of and loved her during that time. She thought of Kiyoshi, Rena, and the others… She felt so honored to have so much love around her… love that defied the bounds of blood relations, age, and title. She knew then that no matter what was ahead for tonight… yes, her brother would be proud. He would be proud that his sister was a person who attracted such wonderful friends… and he would be proud that his sister had come so far even without his guiding hand there at all times. She knew he would've been proud of her for just being proud of herself.

Kurosaki had already gone out to his car to throw in the few things he would need for the night. His wallet, his phone, a change of clothes (for when he was free to get out of the monkey suit he was in), a hoodie, sneakers, Andy's "gift", and a special surprise he himself had picked up for Teru without Riko or anyone else's knowledge… Now all there was for him to do was cross the hallway and get Teru. With her corsage in hand, he knocked on the door, feeling pissed at Riko who had begun to text him constantly since she had finished Teru's hair and makeup, and a bit nervous himself for everything that was to come.

It was an odd feeling to Kurosaki, that he really was feeling exactly like an insecure teenage boy right now… He was a grown man, but just the thought of Prom was reducing him to mush… He couldn't even imagine what Teru would look like when he saw her… he didn't even know what her dress looked like other than the fact that it was light blue… like the tie he had been forced to wear by Riko who had insisted that color coordination was important for some reason or another… in all he was nervous, but was hiding it well from Masuda and Andy who were just behind him waiting for Riko to open the door.

Kurosaki was going to drive himself and Teru to prom, and while they were gone, Riko, Andy and the master were going to have dinner at Riko's apartment, though Masuda was going to cook because Riko's cooking was the equivalent to dirt as far as flavor went… not that anyone would tell her that for fear of her hellish wrath.

While thinking about this, the lock clicked and the door swung open revealing the aforementioned bad-chef-demon in the flesh. She gestured for them to come in, but as soon as they were through the threshold she had them stop. "I didn't have a staircase, so Teru's going to make a grand entrance out of her room." Riko explained, trusting them to stay there as she scurried gleefully into Teru's bedroom.

Kurosaki nearly laughed, "grand entrance", what the hell did she think this was? Some kind of chick flick or something? However when the door opened slowly… grand it was.

Teru looked at Kurosaki as soon as she opened the door… his mouth was opened slightly as if in awe, and it was all she could do but reciprocate. Of course she had seen him in a suit before, but him dressed up in a full tux was a sight to behold. She tried her hardest to contain her excitement and anxiousness a she slowly but surely walked towards him with a single white rose boutonniere in her hand. She had gone with Riko early in the morning to pick it up from the florists and had ordered it the week before. It was a single white rose surrounded by baby's breath taped together with green florist's tape. It was lovely and the stuff the florist had sprayed it with made it look as if it was just picked off a bush with morning dew still on its petals. She liked it a lot, but was embarrassed to go up and pin it on such a handsome man. Was it truly Kurosaki who stood before her? He was so handsome and proper looking, dressed head to toe in elegant black and white with the only peep of color being a tie that perfectly matched the color of the gown she now wore. The only indication that it truly was her delinquent janitor standing before her, was his dyed blond hair. She nearly muttered 'Go bald' as a term of endearment and a break to reality when she got close to him and realized that it truly was him standing in front of her.

He couldn't find any words to describe the way she looked as she walked towards him. She was the loveliest thing he had ever seen in his entire life… and not even the word lovely did her justice. She walked confidently in a long floor length gown with a corset top and enough poof to make it a ball gown, but not so much that it was unmanageable. It had a bit of crinoline underneath to make it poof out, but the effect was much more Cinderella than anything and in fact was a bit toned down for even that. He noticed all the things he wouldn't have had it been another girl… the beading on the dress looking like daisies, the necklace she was wearing being the one he had given her as daisy, and the way her makeup was just enough to highlight the best of her features… nothing too overwhelming. He also noticed some things that made him want to blush… the dress made her figure even more fantastic than usual… though he picked on her about her being flat and such things constantly, he knew she had a shape… and he liked it… it was subtle, and even being a man he knew it had potential to look like it did now… amazing and sexy. He noticed how her chest looked much larger than usual also… she looked like she was at least a B-cup if not a C… and though he guessed that she was wearing a push up bra, he couldn't help but look a little longer than strictly necessary. He wondered if she had done that for her own look or for him… He almost did blush at the thought. He fumbled with the package in his hand… it held the wrist corsage that he had gone out and ordered especially for her… he had to have it custom made, because no florist in town had exactly what he was looking for.

Teru blushed when she realized how intently Kurosaki was staring at her… He was looking at her in a way she had never seen him do so before… in his eyes there was longing… and though she was unfamiliar with the emotion, she would have sworn she saw lust… She also noticed how broadly Andy and the Master were smiling… she heard them calling her beautiful from the moment she walked out, and she had even heard Masuda say that he knew that Soichiro was smiling down on them all right now. She was overwhelmed with a feeling of happiness, though it still had an undertone of anxiousness because though she saw thoughts in his eyes… Kurosaki had yet to say anything to her.

"Beautiful." It was all he could say… He didn't even have time to think of a better word to say before it was out of his mouth, "Teru… you're beautiful." His voice was full of honesty and he knew that it really was true… she was beautiful, and tonight she was all his.

"Thank you." She said with a blush deeper than her previous flush of color. "You look great too Kurosaki…" She said softly. It was all so unreal to her, that this was actually happening.

Kurosaki saw Riko begin to take pictures, so rather than allow her to pose them every which way, he decided to give Teru her corsage. He opened up the small box from the florists and pulled out the corsage that would soon grace her wrist. It was daisies… her favorite flower and the symbol for the beginning of their relationship. With the daisies there were accents of some type of decorative green foliage that he had forgotten the name of and light blue ribbon… he had designed it himself for her, and as he slid it on her wrist, he knew he had made the right choice.

She blushed even harder and attempted and failed to pin on his boutonniere until ultimately he had helped her do it himself… hand over hand…

After indulging Riko and the others with a few more photos, Teru grabbed her bag from the other room and took the arm that Tasuku offered her… They were off to prom together, and there would be no turning back now.

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I won't tell you guys whats up next... but I will say I need a song... a slow song... send me your favorite along with a review please!


	7. Dance

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Of course I was busy in real life, and honestly its not much of an excuse. I promise to try to update as much as possible and as frequently as possible until this thing is done. Honestly it should just be a few more chapters, and I'll try to keep it weekly or biweekly as far as how often I update. Also, I've had a new distraction as of late... a guy came into my life a while ago, his name is Adam. We've been dating for two months, and I love him to peices already. He even read this over for me before I posted it :) So I'll try to keep the updates coming, and I sorta kinda have a new beta for the story. As usual, please read and enjoy!

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Kurosaki was chewing on his bottom lip in a fashion he hoped was unnoticeable to the young woman in the seat next to him. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous… worse than nervous… he was scared to death. He hated the thought that he might fail her tonight… he was scared of not meeting her expectations. He tried to stop chewing on his lip, but as it seemed, it was one nervous habit he was never able to kick. He had always been a nervous person by nature, but usually his dogged headstrongness made up for it. However alone in his car with Teru, there was no saving himself from his fear. His stomach was full of butterflies, and he was silently cursing the prom planning committee for holding prom at a hotel that should have never even existed.

Prom was being held at the Greenstone Hotel, which was a good mile out of the suburbs of town, and even longer from their downtown apartment complex. It was so far out there that the area around it was actually rural, and as it was a bit in the "country side", it was actually a beautiful place. There were acres of trees, grassy fields, and flowers around it that were so beautiful that it almost made up for the fact that it was so far away… almost… but not quite.

However, they were almost there, and the back road shortcuts he was taking were saving them miles and probably a good half hour of driving. Nevertheless, it was still a half hour away, putting them at the half way point in more ways than one. Somehow Kurosaki couldn't help but feel that tonight was a door or gateway of some sort. It was like a veil between what they always had been and what they would be from now on. It sent chills up his spine to think that he would have to decide what to do next with their future in just one night. He was in love with her, though he had never directly said so to her, he loved her more than anything. He wanted to make something more of their relationship, but something within him told him not to do so. At the same time the fire in his heart and soul burned for her and he knew that she was the only one for him. He didn't know which way the night was going to go, but it wasn't solely up to him anyhow… and as they say… fate works in funny ways.

Teru watched the scenery go by as she looked out the window… Rather she was passing it by, but it was all relative when she thought about it. It was quiet and she found herself thinking of Kurosaki… it was difficult not to… though they hadn't hardly spoken since entering the car he was right next to her, and she had been stealing glances at him every few minutes. She wanted to talk to him… be nonchalant and just talk, but it was hard to do when they were on the precipice of something huge. She had no idea what to say to him… until she heard a clunk, a sputter, and a wheeze that ultimately ended in the car stopping. Finally she had something to say, "What was that?" Teru asked sounding confused and a little scared at the same time.

"Damn it" He mumbled reflexively under his breath. He knew there was no way that the whole day was going to work out… after all, if their combined luck could be bottled, it would be a weapon of mass destruction. "Stay here…" He instructed Teru sounding a bit defeated as he spoke. "I'll be right back…" He popped the hood and swung open the door. It took him only a moment to realize what had happened when he got out of the vehicle. There were plumes of steamy smoke coming up from under the hood, and as soon as he pulled the hood the rest of the way up, his suspicions were confirmed. Returning back to the vehicle he told her exactly what was going on "We overheated… the radiator went…" As he said this, he reached for his phone, "We're just going to have to call for help…" he said with a sigh and an almost smile that he hoped would help to clear any worries she might have.

"There's no reception…" She said softly as he picked up his cell. "When you got out of the car I checked… I wasn't getting reception on mine… so I checked yours and it was the same…"

He glanced down at his phone only to see that she was correct, there wasn't a single bar of service, and he silently chided himself for taking the back roads to get there. He knew that no one really ever used these roads anymore, so they would be lucky if anyone came through… even luckier if someone decided to stop and help… but he knew their luck and so far the odds weren't in their favor. He knew what he had to do, but he had many things that were holding him back from doing so. He was going to have to walk back the way they had come until he either found help, or got cell service… the latter being the more likely of the two. He knew that it would be quite a bit of walking, and there was no way that he would make Teru walk that far with him, not normally, and definitely not in a ball gown and heels… But his other option was equally as unappealing… leaving her alone was not something that he wanted to do. He knew that the odds of someone hurting her while he was away were slim to none, but still with the luck that he'd been having… he was worried as hell to leave her there alone… especially with no cell service.

"Teru…" He said softly, trying not to let any of his own apprehension sneak into his voice. "I'm going to walk back down the road until I get a cell signal and call for help… I'm going to have Andy come out here and let me borrow his car… or have him bring us to the hotel… either way, I'm going to need you to stay here while I go. I'm going to lock up the car before I leave, and I need you to stay put. I need you to promise me that you will not leave the car, unlock the doors, or roll down the windows while I'm gone… No matter who is out there… do not open the door until I get back… that being said, I'm taking the keys with me so I can get back in… if someone comes up to the car don't look at them, don't talk to them… just try to hide in the back… better safe than sorry… okay?"

She nodded as he ended his speech… she wasn't liking the way this was turning out… after all she had expected tonight to be the night of her dreams, and right now it was turning out to be a scary disaster… she had a feeling that nothing else bad would happen, but still she would listen to what he said. She knew that he only meant to protect her, and though she was usually to headstrong to listen… she didn't want to upset him… not when so much had already gone awry.

"Can you promise me that?" He asked as he grabbed his cell and keys and shoved them into his pocket.

"Yes…" She said softly taking a deep breath before saying "I promise."

"Alright then." He said giving her his best reassuring smile while swinging his door open and hitting the lock button. "I'll be back as soon as possible… unless of course I decide to leave you here forever… I'm not sure… its fifty fifty at this point." He said the last bit with a bit of a childlike grin obviously trying to bring a little bit of humor to the situation.

"Go bald." Teru said with a slight smile, accepting his attempt at humor and trying to make the best of it.

"If I ever go bald I'll hunt you down, because I know it will be your fault… like an evil curse or something insane like that…" He was still mumbling as he closed and locked his door and started to walk down the road… leaving Teru alone in the car.

Teru's smile didn't last for long. As soon as he was out of her sight, she began to feel anxious… she knew that he was just kidding about the whole leaving her thing, but there was still the chance that maybe something would happen to him so that he couldn't return… there was the chance that he would get lost… or hurt… or worse… and she didn't want to think of that let alone deal with it… so she tried to focus on something else. Her dress was the first thing that came to her mind… it was lovely, and even though she had been wearing it for quite a while… she was still in awe of it, and couldn't help but run her fingers over the gown's skirt. It was lovely and it made her feel beautiful, something that she rarely experienced. She felt like a princess, and despite what had gone wrong, so far Kurosaki had treated her like one… of course he always did, but there was something about the way he was acting today that made her feel like royalty… he had always been her knight in shining armor, but as it was seeming, he may just be her prince too. She picked up the mask that had been sitting in her lap and stroked it with her thumb. It was just as lovely as her dress, and Kurosaki's inversely matching mask was just as brilliant as hers.

She set the mask down with a sigh and looked back down the road in the direction that Kurosaki had walked… she had tried to focus on something else, but now she was just worried about him again… she didn't know what she would do if he were gone for very much longer… she was already nervous and it had only been a few minutes. She was afraid that he would be hit by a car.

Kurosaki looked to the left and right as he walked down the road, careful to watch for a car that he knew wouldn't pass, and even if it did, he knew that no one would ever stop… at least not anyone sensible. Really, who in their right mind would stop for a stranger on a backwoods road like this… the answer was no one… especially because no one went on back roads like this anyway.

He glanced down at his cell and realized, with relief that after a half hour of walking, he once again had cell service… a single bar, but it seemed to be steady, and it was plenty enough to get a call out. He decided that Masuda would be the best to call… after all, he was the most adult and reliable of the group, and he wouldn't rest until he knew someone was coming to save them… or so Kurosaki thought. He dialed the number quickly and listened to it ring… and ring… and ring… finally he heard something different, but it wasn't what he had expected. _Hello, you have reached Masuda. I cannot come to the phone right now, so please leave a message after the tone._

Kurosaki almost threw his phone in anger, but knew better than that and instead called Andy next… and received the same greeting… after that he called Riko and once again found himself leaving a message in a voicemail inbox… his only hope now was that one of them would check their phones before it was too late… after all… he couldn't ruin Teru's special day. He silently cursed them all for not answering their phones, he then cursed out loud when he realized that they were probably not answering because they were out drinking… after all, there would be no help at all if they were drunk… he wouldn't want them out on the roads drunk either. Feeling defeated, he turned around and began the half hour walk back to the car and hoped that help was on the way… for Teru's sake… for his sake…

It had been an hour, and Teru was nervous… there was no sign of Kurosaki… she knew that he had said to stay put, but she was worried… what if something bad had happened? What if he was hurt or lost and needed her help? She was scared, and worried, not to mention bored and lonely… but when a car went past… too fast for comfort with no interest in stopping, the emotion she felt most was fear… pure undiluted fear… had he been hit? She couldn't just sit there and wait to find out. She unlocked her door, threw off her heels and hopped out of the car barefoot. "Kurosaki!" She screamed running off in the direction that he had walked with no thought of how the rough road was hurting her feet or how much of a bad idea it was to run off… she only had one thought in her head and it was Kurosaki.

He turned the corner into the straightaway where the car was parked and sighed with relief… that was one hell of a long walk… however his feeling of respite only lasted for a moment before he realized that he would have to tell Teru that he couldn't reach anyone… and it was seven o clock… dark… and the dance had already begun… He heard her call his name then, and as he looked up, he saw her running towards him. "Teru?" He questioned loudly. He had told her to stay in the car… and he couldn't see her very well in the twilight… why was she running at him? Was she hurt? Was there someone behind her? He ignored the aching of his feet and broke into a sprint toward her shouting out her name, "Teru!"

She saw him running towards her. She couldn't see him very well from the distance and half-light of sunset that made all the shadows dance in funny shapes, but she could see well enough to know that he was okay. She was overjoyed and ran even faster until she found herself about six feet away from him, and accidentally caught her foot on the long skirt fabric of her gown. "Oh…" She said as time seemingly slowed. She couldn't see Kurosaki anymore. All she could see was the greyish black road and how her face was getting closer and closer to it. She didn't have time to shout or try to cover her face… it was coming far too fast… she couldn't do anything at all about it. But right when she thought she was a goner, she felt his hands go around her arms and pull her up. Before she could compute what was happening she felt him pull her up and into his chest.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, still feeling edgy after saving her from her near fall. He was on high alert, she was running towards him just moments ago… there had to be a reason why she had gotten out of that car, and is she was in danger, he was ready to protect her.

She blushed a little bit when she came to her senses. He was worried, and it was her fault… she shouldn't have left the car, but she had just been so worried about him. "Nothing… I was going to come and look for you… it has been an hour and…" She couldn't think of what else to say… she didn't want him to be upset with her.

He relaxed, there was nothing wrong, and he had no reason to worry. "You should have just stayed in the car like I told you to." He said with a sigh. "Are you alright? You didn't get hurt in the fall did you?"

"No… I'm fine…" She said feeling foolish for running off to try and find him like that… she had been so worried, but she should have known that he would be fine… after all he was always okay…

He sighed and hugged her quick before releasing her. "Good… lets go back to the car… I have something to tell you…" He didn't want to tell her that no one had picked up, but he needed to… she had a right to know.

When they were both sitting in the car and the doors were closed, he told her the bad news… she took it well… as well as she could anyway… leaving them hours of silence to endure together...

He knew that she was upset, and it killed him inside that he was ruining her night and there was no way for him to make it better… unless of course there was one way for him to make it better. He didn't act on it right away, but a quick glance at the clock told him that they had been sitting there for two hours… it was nine o clock… there was only an hour left to the dance… and even if someone came to get them right there and then… they wouldn't have time to do anything at the dance anyway… so he had a plan, rather a single thought that may help to make the night a little less of a disaster.

"Teru… put on your shoes…" He said softly after what seemed like an eternity of silence. He provided no further instruction to her, and instead began to delve into the collection of cd's that he kept in his jeep. There were quite a few options, but he had something special in mind… at first he was going to go for Time after Time… one of their favorite songs… but he had something different in mind… something that he thought fit them very well.

He found the CD he was looking for and pulled the disc out of the case. "Put on your mask too…" He mumbled as he slid the disk into the player. Sticking the keys into the ignition and flipping on the headlights he grabbed his own mask and got out of the car. He walked over to her side of the car, opened the door and took her hand as she finished tying the mask behind her head.

She didn't question him and instead accepted his hand as he brought her out of the car and off to the side of the road. She raised an eyebrow with curiosity, but just went along with it. He held her hand for a moment before releasing it only to return to the car. She almost followed after him, but as he walked away he held his hand up for her to wait.

This gave her a few moments to look around… the road was lined with trees as many back roads were, but despite the trees surrounding it, there was a clear and quite marvelous view of the night sky. The moon was clearly visible and was illuminating the night with a soft glow that made things easy to see even with the dark of night. The stars were shining brightly, twinkling like crystals in the sky. Her eyes glanced back towards the trees, in which she saw the occasional sporadic glow of fireflies… it was a bit early to see fireflies out, and a bit too cold, but she supposed that it was warm enough for them within the shelter of the trees.

The night air was pleasantly cool on the bare skin of her shoulders… not too cool to the point at which she would require a jacket, but at the same time cool enough that she noticed a contrast to the warmth of the inside of the car. In all the surroundings were pleasant to say the very least, and to Teru, it was all so magical. For a moment she forgot that she was missing her prom, and that she was stranded in the middle of nowhere… to her, in that moment nothing mattered, because the only place she wanted to be was here.

She heard the first few notes of piano and drum roll out of the speakers of the car, which caused her to turn around and steal her gaze away from the woods to something even more brilliant and magical to her eyes… the sight of Kurosaki wearing his mask walking towards her with calm even steps. When he reached her she nearly gasped… was this really the man she had been picking on for years? Was this truly her daisy standing before her looking like some kind of prince? Was this the man who loved her? She knew the answer was yes, but still could scarcely believe it.

Feeling a tad bit foolish and awkward Tasuku found himself in front of Teru, bowing before her before asking very formally, "May I have this dance?"

She very nearly cried… he was doing all this for her. He really was her Daisy, forever protecting her and being kind… She loved him so much for it, and not trusting her voice not to crack, she simply nodded a yes as the music began to play.

"_If I don't say this now I will surely break  
As I'm leaving the one I want to take  
Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait  
My heart has started to separate_

_Oh, Oh,  
Oh, Ohhhhh  
Be my baby  
Oh, Oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you"_

He put one hand on her waist and the other in her hand, standard dance position. He didn't even know if she knew how to dance ball room… after all he barely remembered how. They used to teach it in gym class when he was in high school, but a lot had changed since then… not just in school curriculum, but also in his level of confidence… he had to admit he was a hell of a lot smoother in high school… well at least he thought he was. His palms were sweaty, but he hoped that she didn't notice. He took a deep breath and stepped back, hoping her foot would follow his.

She knew what he was doing… ball room… she used to dance it with her brother… he taught her… it was something they used to do together. He used to tell her every little girl should know how to dance so that they could go to a ball when their prince came… It was silly when she thought about it, but as a child it had seemed so perfect. She always was her brother's princess, but she was glad to say that she was now Kurosaki's princess… and he protected her like a knight.

"_There now steady love, so few come and don't go  
Will you won't you, be the one I'll always know  
When I'm losing my control, the city spins around  
You're the only one who knows, you slow it down_

_Oh, Oh,  
Oh, Ohhhhh  
Be my baby  
Oh, Oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you  
And I'll look after you"_

She rocked and swayed with him to the music matching him step for step in the night… with the twinkling stars in the sky and the random blinks of fireflies in the trees, it was so romantic and beautiful. She had never felt like this before, and she liked it. There was a tingle running down her spine and a pleasant warm feeling where his body was touching hers. On occasion they would get even closer, and it was all she could do to focus on the steps. He spun her in circles… lovely pirouettes that made her feel as if she really were at a ball. It was like something out of beauty and the beast or Pride and Prejudice… just fairy tale perfect.

"_If ever there was a doubt  
My love she leans into me  
This most assuredly counts  
She says most assuredly_

_Oh, Oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you  
After you  
Oh, Oh  
Be my baby  
Ohhhhh"_

He held her close to him as they danced in the cool night air… she was warm despite the light chill, and was blushing brightly. He rubbed his thumb lovingly up and down her side as he held her in their close dancing embrace. "I'm sorry we're missing the dance…" He said gently to her as he led her in their dance.

She took a moment to compute what he was saying to her, and she blushed a bit more as she said the only thing she could think of. "I'm not missing anything…" She said softly, "Everything I wanted is right here."

"_It's always have and never hold  
You've begun to feel like home  
What's mine is yours to leave or take  
What's mine is yours to make your own"_

Had she really just said that to him? He questioned himself internally. Had she really just said that he was all she needed? Was it true? Teru wasn't the type of girl who would say something that she didn't mean… no she knew better than that, and he knew that she was being honest with him. He was glad that maybe just for a few moments he could make her night exactly what it should have been… what she deserved for it to be.

"_Oh, Oh,  
Be my baby  
Ohhhh  
Oh, Oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you"_

"You're so beautiful" He said instinctively without thinking about it as the music echoed him.

"_You are so beautiful to me… You are so beautiful to me…"_

He had called her beautiful once today, and this time she felt it even more than the last… maybe it was the heat of the moment, but she knew that she wanted to try something. As the last notes of the song ended and they both stood there motionless in the dark, Teru took the hand that had been on his shoulder and touched his face. It was a simple, but intimate gesture that was an indication of what she was about to do. When he didn't shy away from her touch, she brought herself in closer to him and looked into his eyes. He was her Daisy, her protector, her friend, her master… and the only man she loved. She lifted her face to his; not truly knowing what she was doing, and yet following instincts that told her that she was doing perfectly well. She had to get up on her tiptoes to reach, because he obviously didn't understand what was going on, but when she was finally to his level, she slowly moved her head forward… she had wanted this for so long, and now, she was going to take it. She thought of all his teasing and toying with her… how he had almost kissed her, and how much she had wanted his lips on hers… she thought of all this, and just mere inches away from her target… she got nervous and planted a gentle yet loving kiss on his cheek.

Her meek cheek kissing didn't fool him for a moment… he knew what she had wanted, and he was going to give it to her… she had already had her first kiss… honestly it had been stolen from her by Akira… and also in a way by him when he had given her mouth to mouth, but he was going to make that up to her now… Their true and correct first kiss was something he had been waiting to give her because the time had never been right… until now. The night was dark and romantically lit by stars and the moon… there was of course the small hitch that they were stranded there, but it didn't change the fact that they were both ready, and that it was the perfect time for him to kiss her. Once she had settled back from her cheek kissing, he was already ready to do what he had longed to do for so very long.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly caught the underside of her chin in a gentle grip of his hand… it was firm enough that he could direct her, but loose enough at the same time that if he did anything she didn't want him to, she could wiggle away and out of his grasp. He tilted his head down, and with a quick, smooth motion, he tilted hers up to his. He could see only love in her eyes, no fear or surprise… seeing that her reaction was void of negative emotion, he continued in his actions. After all, he was her protector first… lover second… "Teru…" He said tenderly as his lips neared hers, "I love you."

And finally he had said it. She scarcely had time to compute what he had said, gasp, or react in anyway, because once the words left his mouth, his lips seemed determined to find another pastime… one that involved her own.

His lips met hers with an intense yet affectionate and soft kiss the likes of which she had never experienced. It said so much without saying anything at all… it said I love you, I want you, I need you, and so much more… it said things like I will always be here, I will always protect you, I will always tease you, and I will always be your master no matter how much manual labor you do. It was a perfect kiss, not because it matched the rest of their fairytale surroundings, but instead it was perfect because it didn't match up at all. It was perfect because it was their kiss and no one else's.

Tears welled up in Teru's eyes as their lips parted. They were happy tears… tears of a love that was finally admitted to be mutual. She choked out the words "I love you too." As she tried to reach up and wipe away her tears before they ruined the makeup that Riko had worked so hard on.

"Hey, hey, hey…" He said as he tried to quiet her softly. He shushed her and pulled her close into his arms. He was letting his softer side show as he led her back to the car, knowing the whole time that she was shedding happy tears. He had known for quite some time that she had feelings for him… and he of course reciprocated these feelings for her as well, but hearing them both speak it out loud was having an effect on even his crusty old delinquent heart. He brought her back to the car and helped her get in and close her door. He then went around the other side and got in himself, switching off the radio as he reached over to continue comforting her. Despite all that had just happened he still felt bad about her missing prom, and a quick look at the clock confirmed that indeed they were missing the last half hour… they weren't going to make it, and it killed him a little bit inside. Instead of getting upset over it, he continued to shush her until her crying stopped. He stroked her hair gently and muttered reassurances to her under his breath, even throwing "I love you" in the mix a few more times just to let her know that he was being serious about it. Eventually her tears stopped, and he noticed that she had not only calmed down, but had actually fallen asleep… not that he blamed her… after all, it had been a hell of a day.

He sat there in silence watching her sleep until he was alerted by the whitish yellow light of a car pulling up besides theirs. He tensed up for a moment, only to realize it was Masuda offering to give them a ride home. He helped Kurosaki unload things from his jeep and reload them into his car, all the while Tasuku explained to Master that he would rather go to the hotel where he already had a room rented… after all he had already paid for it, and Teru was asleep… Masuda consented as if he had already expected as such, and Kurosaki carried a sleeping Teru into the car… holding her on his lap in the back seat until they finally arrived at the Hotel.

Kurosaki checked in and carried their things to their room. After doing this, he rescued Teru from the car, carried her to the room and set her on the bed… he would take care of her in a few moments. First he thanked his dear friend for the rescue that he had given. Two which Masuda replied that it hadn't been a problem and that he would have his Jeep towed and would be there to pick up him and Teru in the morning.

Tasuku thanked Masuda again and returned to the room feeling more fulfilled and tired than he had ever been before. Though he still regretted that Teru never got her Prom, he was glad to have made her happy even if just for a few moments.

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I'd like to thank everyone that made song suggestions! Almost every song that was mentioned was on my ipod! You people have great taste! In the end it was "Look After You" by: The Fray, that won my heart. "Yellow" by: Coldplay, "Time After Time", and "Daisy Bell" were close seconds though. Thanks everyone so so so much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll update again ASAP!


	8. Decisions

Here's the latest update, sorry it took so long... honestly I have no idea what to do next... At the end of the chapter, you guys have a choice to make... until then... enjoy!

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Kurosaki reentered his hotel room with a sigh. It had been one hell of a long night so far, and he was eager to get some sleep. However, he knew that sleep was not all too likely for him after the events of the night. He had kissed her and told her how he felt about her, and she had said that she felt the same. Saying it to her had felt so natural and automatic for him, because he had loved her from the very start, however hearing her say it right back to him was what had really gotten to him. It had gotten to him in a good way, but at the same time being alone with her again made him nervous. What was she expecting? His hand reached for his bag as soon as he closed the door. He brought it further into the room with him and began to loosen and remove his tie. He wasn't the type of man who was against dressing up from time to time, but he was more than ready to change into the plain white t-shirt and black pajama pants he had packed in the bag. As he walked further into the room, finally removing his tie completely, he had a moment to take in his surroundings.

The room he had rented was on the upscale side as far as hotel rooms went. It was warm, clean, well decorated, and comfortable. The walls were dark blue in color with photographs of city skylines hung upon them in black frames. On the end wall there was a large picture window which faced out upon a garden courtyard with a gazebo. The curtains were black and were thrown wide open so that the scene below as well as the very starry night outside could be viewed. They were on the third and top floor of the hotel, and a glass door next to the window led out to a small balcony. There was one bed, pushed up against the wall on one side of the room. The head and footboard of the bed were made of a dark polished wood, and the pillows and sheets were the same dark blue as the wall. The comforter a top the bed was black with white detailing that he couldn't make out too well.

Of course atop this bed, still asleep was Teru. She was still in her dress, and was looking like a sleeping angel. She was beautiful as always, but something about the way her hair was softly cascading over the sheets was getting to him. Her soft, fragile, sleeping beauty was making him feel a way he had never truly felt before. Of course she always made him melt, but now it was different. It was all he could do to keep himself from walking over to the bed with the intent of scooping her up into his arms and never again letting go. He felt possessive of her, as if she was his, and in fact she was in some ways. She was his slave, bound to him by the ridiculous breaking of a window years before. She was also his princess, his to protect due to an oath he made to a dying friend. She was his friend, always there when he needed her, whether he wanted her there or not. Now she was also his love. Of course he had always loved her, but now that they had both admitted that they were in love, out loud, he felt more comfortable calling her his love. They weren't dating or together in anyway other than they had previously, but there was already a feeling of permanence in the way he felt about her.

He walked softly over to the bed and reached out a hand to touch her, but her stirring stopped him. He didn't want to wake her, she deserved rest if that was what she wanted, and he needed to cool his head. Getting changed seemed like an excellent opportunity to do so, so he turned away from her and began to walk towards the door which led to the adjoining bathroom.

"Daisy." The name stopped him in his tracks. It sent a chill up his spine, normally hearing that name meant trouble, but this time it was pleasant. The voice was Teru's, but it was softer than usual. He could tell that she was awake, but the heaviness of sleep in her voice let him know that she was on the brink of falling asleep once again or waking up and staying up.

He turned back towards her, "Teru." he said softly as he walked back towards her, "You know that I'm not Daisy anymore. Why would you…?"

His speech was stopped short by her sitting up on the bed and speaking with surprising strength, "You've always been my Daisy. You always will be my daisy."

He hadn't a clue of how to respond. He had told her before that he could no longer be her Daisy, but there was so much of him tied to that personality. She was right, no matter how much he tried to hide it away, Daisy was a part of him, and he would always be Daisy for her. This realization struck a chord within his heart. It was difficult for him to balance his different personalities and actions now, after spending what felt like ages in a bipolar state. It had been like two different men sharing the same body, and now those two were becoming one. It was difficult for him to deal with in both theory and practice, but it was happening. The shear fact that he had revealed his love for her was proof of that point. Both sides of him loved Teru, and Daisy was the side emotional enough to admit it. He was daisy today, but also himself. In truth Daisy had always had part of him tied into his personality. Daisy was a smooth talker and emotional, but he was also a fighter and a protector. Kurosaki knew that from the start Daisy and he had been one in the same, but it was confusing.

A moment later, she looked at him and smiled softly, "You'll always be my Kurosaki." Her smile then turned impish, like that of a small child about to be particularly naughty. "You'll always be my baldy."

Suddenly everything made sense for him… he was himself, no one else. He was Kurosaki, he was daisy, he was a lover, a fighter, a protector, and a hacker… however the one thing he was not was balding. "If I ever go bald, it will be your fault and I'll cut off that hair of yours to make a wig!"

He didn't even have to think about the words as he said them and approached the bed with his hands out with mock menace. "Maybe I will right now as insurance!" He was trying to act the part, but it was really all he could do to not laugh.

Teru made a face of mock terror and put her hands out in front of her as if trying to ward him off. "Oh, please, no! Not that! Anything but my hair!" She pseudo-fainted then laughed beside herself as he climbed up on the bed with her. He truly was her everything in the strongest meaning of the word. She was so happy to have him with her that she felt like pinching herself to see if this was just a very pleasant, very realistic dream.

Though of course it wasn't a dream, it was in fact as real as can be. Teru found this to be true as the bed bounced from his flopping down next to her. Suddenly as she saw him next to her on the bed… it wasn't a joke anymore. "Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" She asked suddenly desperate to remove the makeup, hair pins, and gown she had been wearing all evening. They had made her feel beautiful up until now, but at the moment she knew they were all mussed up and uncomfortable above all else. She had been dolled up like a Princess all day, but now she wanted to be nothing more than Teru Kurebayashi, Tasuku Kurosaki's princess.

"Sure." He said nonchalantly though he was actually confused by her sudden change of mood and course of action. "Go ahead, I'll just change out here while you're in there."

"Okay!" She said sitting up and getting up off the bed. She quickly grabbed her bag and walked off towards the bathroom. Once inside, she turned on the warm water in the sink and grabbed a washcloth. One look in the mirror had told her that her makeup was indeed messed up, but not quite as bad as she expected. She had a few darker smudges of makeup out of place near her eyes, but other than that, nothing much was messed. Regardless, she needed to feel clean. She took off her gown and allowed it to fall to the floor. It was funny how much simpler it was to take off compared to what it was like to put on. She didn't mind though, she just allowed it to crumple at her feet as she pulled pins and ties out of her hair permitting it to fall down her back as always. She flicked her hair out behind her as she wetted the washcloth and washed off the makeup from her face. She felt refreshed by the water and getting cleaned up took her mind away from the situation that she was in and how much the will he or won't he was killing her. Tucking her hair back behind her ears Teru looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she was wearing only the bra and panties that she had bought especially for this night. She wondered whether or not she could walk out of the bathroom wearing only lingerie. She knew that she physically could, but she questioned whether or not it would be too soon after all they had been through and if Kurosaki would like it or not. After all, what was she to him? She knew that they had professed their love for one another, but if he saw her in this way, would he still feel the same?

She was just an A-cup high school senior, didn't he want and deserve better than her? Wouldn't he want a woman with more shape, age, and experience? She hated to think in that way, but the side of her brain that had a tendency to lean towards realism would let her think of little else. There was so much reality up inside her brain that she couldn't think of anything but getting on her pajamas, out of the bathroom, and away from all the voices in her head that told her that she wasn't good enough. However that plan was spoiled when she reached into her bag and found only a negligee without the pajama pants that she had planned to pack but had apparently left home. She pulled it on, grabbed her dress, and tired of all else, left the bathroom.

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So ladies and gentlemen, your choice as to what happens next... lemon, or no lemon? Its up to you all, and thanks so much for sticking with me :) The reviews, faves, and kindness are what keep me going.


	9. Conclusion

So this is the last chapter! Thanks for hanging in here with me. I really appreciate you all reviewing and reading. It's been great and really meant the world to me. I'm not sure what I'm doing with this pairing next, but I'll keep y'all posted and I promise to get to thinking and writing ASAP! I'd ove any thoughts you have!

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Kurosaki held in his hands a jewelers box, in it the gift that he planned to give to Teru. It was just something small, nothing all that important, but she deserved to feel special tonight regardless of what had happened with the car. It was prom night and she deserved to be happy even if in actuality they had missed prom. He still felt terrible about it, and was going to do his damnedest to make up for it. He didn't know what she expected out of tonight, but whatever it was; he'd give it to her happily. He wanted to make her the happiest girl in the world simply because he loved her and she made him the happiest man in the world. He heard the door open, and being already changed himself, he was ready for whatever she wanted to do next.

Teru exited the bathroom and set her dress down on a nearby chair. She saw him lying on the bed wearing pajama pants and a plain white t shirt. He looked comfortable just sitting there with a small box in his hands. She smiled at him softly and watched carefully as his face turned bright red. She blushed coyly knowing why he was reacting in such a way.

He could barely believe what he was seeing. Teru Kurebayashi, the girl that he had spent years protecting was truly a girl no more. He had been steadily realizing that fact all day, but with her standing before him now, he really realized it. She was a young woman, dressed so scantily that he could see her midnight blue lingerie. He knew it was wrong to look at her the way he was, taking in every slight curve of her petite body. The way he noticing the little bows on her bra and panties and the way that they fit her so flatteringly felt wrong and right to him at the same time. Just more evidence to the fact that he was a man split in two, with one side wanting to protect her from the world, and the other side wanting to show her the world with all the dangers and passions she could find within it. He took in the sight of her thin negligee; he could see her bra well through its thin light blue fabric. It was tight around her breasts and had a black ribbon just below them. From there the fabric gathered and came just a bit lower than her belly button, leaving a full view of her panties. He was blushing hard and using all his strength to not reach out to touch her as she walked towards him. He wondered if she was doing this on purpose or not. He doubted it, she was such a pure girl that she probably didn't even understand what she was doing to him. However the way she was sashaying her hips as she walked towards him told a different story. Was this really the girl he had spent much of his life protecting? Was she coming on to him? And if she was, why? They had admitted their love for each other, but was she really ready to make such a giant leap? He had a good feeling that even if she were ready, he was not.

"Tetetetett….Teru…", He sputtered out incoherently as she climbed up onto the bed, in a thankfully sitting position. He was having a hard enough time handling himself without her splaying out half naked, mere inches away from him.

Teru sat near him watching as he turned deeper and deeper shades of red. She herself was embarrassed too, feeling very inappropriate in the skimpy outfit she had packed. She was nervous and her stomach was flopping as she watched him search for words. What was he going to say to her? Was he going to come on to her or push her away? In her current state both ideas frightened her to death, and she wasn't sure if she could handle his adult affections, or his rejection. She suddenly felt very small and fragile in his presence. Something she had never really felt before while around him.

"Teru." He repeated finally taming his tongue to speak in a somewhat normal manner. "Teru, I don't…" He stopped speaking there and stared at her. He wasn't even sure of what to say next. Did he not want to be with her tonight? Did he not want to have sex? Did he want to have sex? It was all so very confusing and nothing was making sense in his mind. All he could see was her sitting before him barely dressed. The way her hair fell down her back tempting him to run his hands through it and all over her. It was a fight between his rationality and his libido and he truly didn't know who was winning at this point.

She heard him chocking out words. He didn't want to what? She was suddenly more nervous and afraid than she had ever been before. She was about to be rejected, and as sick of crying as she was tonight, she started again suddenly. The thought of his rejection hurt her deeply, and though she was unsure if she even wanted to do anything herself, the fact that he didn't want to do anything with her cut deep. It was like someone had plunged a knife deep into her chest. They had already established that they were in love, so why not a physical love also? When he had told her that he loved her had he only meant it in a friendly or family way? It had felt like so much more to her, but was it possible that she had just hear what she wanted to? As tears streaked her cheeks she didn't know what to do. She felt like a child once again. Like a little girl dressed up in her mother's clothes, trying to be so much older than she truly was. It was foolish she decided, to try and be the object of his desire at all, even though being as such wasn't even her original intention. She began to stand up, feeling the need to walk away, not even knowing where she would go if she did.

He watched as she cried and began to stand, misunderstanding his inner battle for something that she had done wrong. He acted quickly without thinking, knowing that he had unintentionally hurt her again tonight. He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap, not knowing what else to do to reassure her that nothing was her fault, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her lips. He could feel her tears rolling down her cheeks and onto him. He felt them as they hit his face, his chest, his lap and various other places as she moved. He just kept kissing her until he felt her tears lessen. He loved her with all his heart and seeing her cry killed him inside. He knew that it was his fault for not finishing his statement. When his lips parted from hers, he clarified. "Teru, I don't want to hurt you." He didn't know how to explain any further, so he just told her what was on his mind. "I want you, but this is fast, and I want to protect you. You're so young and the last thing I would want to do is ruin you. I want to give you everything you deserve because you're the most amazing woman I've ever met. I wanted to give you a perfect prom and a perfect night, but so far I've failed. I don't want to make any more mistakes tonight, not that doing that with you would be a mistake. It's just that you deserve the world and though I can't give it to you, I want to give you the best I have. Doing that is even hard to do with the way that I'm constantly battling two sides of myself who both want you and both think that they know what's best for you. The worst part is that I know that until I can reconcile with both sides of myself that it's wrong of me to be with you. You deserve so much better than a broken, sinning man who will never be able to give you what you truly deserve."

Teru stopped crying and looked up into his sad eyes as he released her from his embrace. She never knew that loving her was so hard for him. She knew that it wasn't her fault, and that he loved her with all his heart. She listened to the words he said and understood for the first time why his feelings for her had always been so tentative and careful. He thought that he wasn't good enough for her in the same way that she had always believed that she wasn't enough for him. He also felt as though the two sides to his personality would never be able to agree on a way to treat her. However, she didn't believe this in the least. Once his hands fell away from her, Teru wrapped her arms around him tightly. "You would never hurt me." She said piteously as she reached up to touch his cheek. Her eyes were sad as she caressed his face with the side of her hand. "You're all I've ever wanted, and you are not a broken man. You have a pain in your soul, but it can be healed. I love you and I always will. The only thing that you said that I agree with completely is that it is too soon for us to do something that extreme. We will someday, I can swear to that, because I want to… with you." She blushed as she said the last few words, "Someday I'll want to be with you in that way more than anything… but for tonight I just want to be with you."

He looked at her and smiled. They truly had something special. Something amazing that he had never seen another two human beings share. He loved her with all his heart and he knew that she loved him back. Suddenly he knew what he wanted to do tonight, and it was something he would only ever do with her. His one and only, his Teru, his princess, deserved a night to remember, and that's what he would give her. He pulled her in close to him once again and kissed her fervently as he ran his fingers through her hair and down her back. Tonight wouldn't be a night to go all the way, but instead a night to explore everything that they now had. He kissed down from her lips to her neck, to her mostly bare shoulders, and could feel her surprised shiver under his lips. He wasn't going to go too far, but he was going to show her the way he felt for her, and the magic of a little bit of experience. He kissed down her arm and to her wrist, loving the way she suddenly sucked in breath as response to his kiss and touch. He kissed around her wrist and then once on the topside of her hand before he reached down to grab the box that sat next to him. He flipped her hand over and placed the box in it, kissing her forehead before whispering to her, "Open it."

She was still in shock from the suddenness of his actions. She had shivered and felt pleasurable shocks run down her spine like electricity. Every hair on her body stood on end, and her breath was hitched, however despite this, she did as she was told. She felt the rectangular box in her hand before she looked down at it. It was heavy for its size, and she knew something was in it. Looking at it told her almost immediately what was inside. It was obviously from a jeweler, and eying the label on the box quickly told her that it was from the same place as her daisy necklace. It was obviously Kurosaki's go to place for jewelry at this point, and Teru smiled as she opened it. He spoiled her, but she knew that he liked to do it. She wasn't the type that usually got spoiled, so she felt really special when he did things for her. She still was very thankful for it though, she wasn't the type that was rude either, so when she opened the box and let out an audible gasp, Kurosaki knew it would soon be followed with a thank you.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Teru said within a moment of opening the box. It was a wonderful gift, and she was so happy to have it.

Kurosaki smiled as her face light up. He had hoped that she would like it, and had put a lot of honest thought into the gift. "You're welcome. I know girls like jewelry, and I know it's usually a thing for girls who aren't as mature as you are, but because you had to grow up so fast… I just had a feeling that you had never had one before, and I thought that maybe you would like to have one." He picked it up out of the box and fastened it to her wrist gently.

"I love it!" She responded as she lifted up her wrist to get a better look at it. It was a charm bracelet, and it was true that she had never had one before. She had always wanted one, but they were always far too expensive for her to buy. She especially could not afford the one that he had purchased for her because it looked as if it must have cost a small fortune. The bracelet itself was made of large silver chain and a strong looking silver clasp. It was beautiful in itself, but the charms on the bracelet just made it genuinely amazing. Each charm looked as though it were hand cast from silver, and they each had little clasps at the top of them which made it so that they could be removed or attached to the bracelet. The first little silver charm was a daisy with a small blue gem stone set in its center. The next was a miniature couple dancing together also cast in silver. It was amazingly detailed so that one could see every line in the woman's long ball gown and every single hair on the man's head. However as detailed as they were, they had no faces; something Teru imagined was to make them easily relatable to anyone. The third charm was a silver "T" with vines and flowers etched into it very small. Next to that charm there was a charm of a cell phone that looked like hers cast in silver. Teru supposed that this was symbolic of their texting each other. After that, Teru teared up to see a silver pair of angel wings, obviously meant as a symbol of Soichiro. The final charm was a single word in silver like the rest of the charms. The one word was "Family", and it made Teru think of her family of friends… Riko, Masuda, Andy, Kiyoshi, Rena, and the others were all truly her family… and Kurosaki himself was her family too. The entire gift just had so much thought put into it that Teru was amazed. She had never been given such a sweet gift before.

"I picked out the charms for it individually… but if you don't like them, I can get you different ones… you can pick them out if you want to." He was smiling at her as he said this, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't want to change it at all. After all he knew Teru, and she wasn't picky. She was probably reveling in the amount of effort that he had put into the gift… and he knew when he saw tears well up in her eyes, that he had done the right thing. He knew that those tears were happy, and he knew that they were all for the single charm linked to her brother. But he didn't mind, he was just happy to make her happy, and to give her a way to wear his affection as well as a way to wear her memory of her brother.

Teru looked him in the eye for a moment before pulling him in for a kiss. "It's perfect!" she said gleefully as she kissed him again and again until they were both lying on the bed. She was on top of him, and though she knew he was feeling a little turned on, as was she, neither of them acted upon it. She kissed him again and again and let her hands run over his arms and chest through his t-shirt. She felt the muscles that crowded in the areas below his warm skin. He was strong without being frighteningly strong. She knew that he had the strength to protect her, but would never hurt her. She liked feeling his chest and arms and got the sense that maybe he liked it when she touched him too. After all she liked the way that he was gently running his hands over her arms, stomach, and back, being careful to never touch her someplace that may be too inappropriate for where they currently were in their relationship. She liked the way his rough, calloused hands felt on her skin. They were warm and even though the room wasn't cold, it was a welcomed sensation given the fact that she was wearing so little.

Tasuku was surprised at how readily Teru's hands were exploring his body. At the moment she was touching his arms and chest, but every once and a while they would search a little lower, over his stomach, past his belly button and into a zone that would be… dangerous. He wouldn't stop her if she wanted to go there. He wouldn't be mad at her curiosity to explore, after all, she was young and though her instincts were good, he knew she had no experience. He would let her do as she wished to him, but he was holding firm to a few things on his end. First of which was no sex. He wasn't going to take her innocence tonight, not after all they had been through, and not after their discussion mere moments before where they had both agreed that they weren't ready. Also he was restraining himself and making sure that he didn't touch her anywhere too sexually suggestive… her stomach, back, arms, legs, hands, feet, and face were free game. However, he had already told himself that her breasts, upper thighs, butt, and various… other places… were out of the question. There was plenty of time in the future for those things, but he refused to ouch her like that tonight… even if she asked him to.

Teru shivered as his hand made another pass across her back. He was treating her very well tonight, but still the room felt cold in only her lingerie and the thin fabric of her negligee. While thinking about how cold she felt, her hands wandered lower and lower purely out of instinct. She knew she was in the danger zone, but the fact that she wasn't honestly paying attention didn't allow it to deter her until she felt… hair. She quickly removed her hands from down his pants with a blush and shifted her gaze away so that she wouldn't have to look at him directly. She was embarrassed and angry with herself from lack of tact. She hoped that he didn't take it the wrong way.

To her surprise, Tasuku chuckled. "That's enough for one night I think." He said with an amused look on his face as he removed his shirt, looking contrary to what he had just said. He quickly reached up to move Teru's face gently so that she was looking at him once again. "Here." He whispered gently as his facial expression shifted to one of care and love, "You'll catch a cold like that."

As Teru's gaze returned to him, he helped her tug his shirt on over her negligee. It was warm already from his skin, and Teru couldn't help but enjoy its warmth. After she was wearing his shirt, he helped her get under the blankets and followed suit himself. Teru blushed as he pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. He really was her protector.

"Tasuku…" She whispered softly using his first name.

"Yes, Teru."

"I love you." She muttered gently as she wrapped her arms around him and curled in close to his side.

"I love you too slave." He responded lovingly before adding in a question, "I hope I'm not being forward…" he joked lightly, "but I was wondering if you were in need of a boyfriend?" He hadn't planned to ask her this tonight. He honestly hadn't planned to ask her that at all. However, things like that just happened sometimes. Like fate, or chance. Some questions need answers whether you want to ask them or not, and in their case it was a long time coming.

Teru smiled as she tucked her face into his neck, "Yes, in fact I am, I'm glad you asked."

"So am I." He responded as he kissed her lips and reached over to turn out the bedside lamp, leaving their hotel room in complete darkness, allowing for the sleep that was much needed by the new couple.

* * *

I hope you liked this last chapter, and I'll try to write something new ASAP. I hope no one is mad that I didn't do a lemon, but it just didn't fee right to me and around half of the readers. I did throw a little baby lime in there I think for like a minute, but honestly, I think they just deserved some fuff after everything. Thanks again for all the reviews, kind words, and friendship. I hope you guys stick around for my next story, and please feel free to PM me with ideas for my next story. I'm game for anything pretty much!


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